I Love Those Moments
by Captain Lila Turner
Summary: See Note
1. Wars and Engagments

**This idea has been bothering me for a while, so I decided to post it.  
I'm finishing Distressin' Damsel, so expect an update sometime at the end of the week or this weekend.  
I'm getting a little stuck on that one, so hopefully writing this one will give me a little break.  
Anways...  
I OWN NOTHING, darn it.  
Except the characters you don't recognize.  
Those, I probably do own.**

_**I Love Those Moments**_

**_Chapter One_**

_When he stabbed that heart, guiding his former first mate's hand to it...  
He realized that she was right._

_And she knew it when she looked up at him when her fiancee's lifeless had fell from the Captain's  
broken sword._

_Had she not just months ago said, "...and there will come a moment when you will choose to do the right thing..."_

_That moment had been now._

_He gave up his chance at immortality to save a man that he sometimes hated, sometimes he wanted to kill him..  
A man that had risked his life for his for times than he could count.  
And man that had betrayed him.  
A man that was his friend.  
A man that was a pirate._

_Moments come and go, but when the captain saw his sometimes best friend rise out of the ocean's  
depths alive and immortal, he had known that he had never smiled quite as big as he had at that moment._

_When the Dutchman sailed beside the Pearl, the Dutcman's new captain glanced over at him, and smiled.  
He returned the immortal captain's smile, knowing it was a silent thank you..._

_...he had lost his chance at immortality.  
He had lost the girl that he had loved.  
But he had done the right thing._

_His moment had come._

**-One Hundred Years Later-**

"Your Highness?" She heard a knock at her door. She instantly dropped the locket that she had been holding, and tucked it away into her night gown. Then, as if she wasn't doing anything, she jumped back on to her bed and covered her head up as if she was asleep.

"Your Highness?" Came the voice once more.

"You may come in." She said in a forced sleepy voice. It was apparently enough to fool her maid, since she opened the door and bounced right in. Arabella was only four years older than she was, and the two of them had a sister relationship, though Arabella always called her "Your Highness" instead of her first name.

Arabella walked over to the bed and said, "Your Highness-"

"How many times must I tell you to call me Lila?" Lila asked her maid, smiling as she pulled her golden-brown ringlets up into a bun, allowing some curls to fall into her face. Bella smiled back at her and said, as she stopped herself from bowing, "I'm sorry, You- I mean, Lila. Your father needs to speak with you. He sent me to come for you."

Sighing, Lila sat back up and took her robe that Bella was holding out for her. Standing up, and fastening it, she smiled at Bella, and said to her, "Thank you." And then she walked out of her room, and down the stairs of the palace that sat in the heart of the Caribbeans. Gracefully making her way down the stairs, the young princess finally made it to her father's room.

"Good morning, Miss Parrish." Came a cheerful voice from behind her. She turned to see that it was none other than Andrew Beckett. Forcing, honestly making herself smile, she said to him in an equally pleasant, though entirely fake voice, "Good morning, Admiral. How are you this fine morning?" She took her hand off of the door, and turned to look into the handsome face of Admiral, soon to be Lord, Andrew Beckett. It was such a shame that she completely loathed this man. He was in truth, very handsome.

Maybe it was his powdered wig that made him all the more loathable. Turning her attention briefly away from Beckett, she turned to the ballroom to see servants getting ready for the ball that was to take place that night. She turned back to Beckett, who said to her, "I'm doing wonderful, Your Highness. And yourself?" She met his ocean blue eyes and said in her best princess voice, "Wonderful as well, Admiral."

"Oh, please. Call me Andrew." He said in that same good-natured voice. Looking at a clock, he said beaming at her, "Well, if you will excuse me, Your Highness." He took her hand and gave it a polite, but lingering, kiss. "I guess I shall be seeing you tonight at the ball, my dear? Have a nice day." He bowed once more, before dissappearing into the long hallway.

Rolling her green eyes, she turned back to her father's door. "Allow me-" Said one of the guards that stood in front of his door. She smiled at him, thanking him, as he opened the door and she walked in. He was staring out of the window in the huge room. She made her way to the chair that sat in front of a desk, and waited for him to say something.

"Good morning, darling." He said, turning his gaze from the window, and smiling at his daughter. "I trust that Miss Arabella has informed you that I was in need of talking to you." He sat down at his desk. The future queen of the sea played with the locket, but when her father turned to her, she tucked it away. "Admiral Beckett has asked me for permission in giving your hand to him in marriage."

Lila, for once in her life, was completely at loss for words. She knew that Admiral Beckett fancied her a great deal, but like this? Ignoring, or just not seeing, her shocked expression, her father said, "Now, I don't know how you truly feel about this, but I think he'd make a fine husband for you."

And a great father to our powdered wigged babies, Lila thought as she rolled her green eyes again. That was a habit she and her father knew she had picked up from him. "-and will make a fine prince."

"Daddy-"

"No, sweetheart." Neptune lowered his grey eyes, looking at his daughter. "Calypso has told me that my time as ruler will soon be up. I've served for centuries, darling. It's almost time for me to pass the torch to you. And don't say that you're not ready, because you are, darling. You'll make a fine ruler."

The old king got up from his chair and walked around his room, before staring out the window once more. "Though, I do need to inform you that as one of my final commands as king, I will be declaring war."

"Against who?" Lila asked, almost falling out of her seat. She looked over at her father as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Her father turned to meet her eyes again, and said, "Against the pirates. Calypso, in her nature, has et it out that I shall soon be stepping down as king. They're banding together to destroy this empire altogether. An empire that has been in our family-"

"-since time began, I know." Lila said, in a less than bored voice as Neptune came to stand in front of his daughter. She had heard that story so many times that it was honestly starting to get annoying. Neptune sat in front of her and said, "I'll make my announcment of war tonight at the ball."

"What a way to ruin a ball, Daddy." Lila said, for the first time really looking into her father's eyes. A look of humor entered them as he said, "Hopefully, I will have a wonderful annoucment as well. Announcing your engagement. I'm not going to press you, though I would love for you to consider it."

"Alright, Daddy." Lila said, giving into her father's smile. He smiled bigger, and embraced his daughter in a tight hug, before releasing him and saying, "Alright, darling. You're free to do as you wish today. As long as you have Rupert in near sight-" Rupert was the head of her father's army, and was her protector since her father was so concerned that someone would kill her trying to get the throne.

She gave her father a kiss on the cheek, before walking out of his room and to the grand staircase. "Your Highness." Rupert gave her a bow as he walked from his quarters. "How are you this morning?"

"Good, Rupert. Thank you." She said, smiling at him. Not a forced one like she had for Beckett. "And you?"

He smiled up at her, his brown eyes twinkling as he said, "Very good as well, Miss Parrish." He said that with a slight. Trying to ignore the fact that she was in a robe, she waited for him to say something else. He did, and said, "So, I shall be assuming that you will want to leave the palace today?"

She smiled and said, "And you assumtion would be absolutley correct! Let me go change and get Bella. We'll be down in a minute." He laughed as she ran up to her room, narrowly missing a very expensive statue, and nearly tackled Bella who had been making her bed. "Honestly, Lila, dear. What on earth is it?" Bella asked with slight humor as she pulled Lila to her feet.

"You would not believe what my father just told me." Lila said, as she made her way to go sit on her window seat. When she was sitting on it, she shrieked, "He wants me to marry that idiot Admiral Beckett."

Bella made a dreamy face and said, "What's the problem? He's a fine man."

"Yes, until he opens his mouth." Lila shot back at her. Then, she rested her head against the wall, looking out at the gorgeous view of the sun rise. She was imaging herself on a ship, especially _his_ ship. She smiled at the memory of _his_ ship sailing to meet her-

"Lila, what are you day dreaming about now? More pirates?" Bella asked her as she came to sit across from her. "Dear, you day dream about pirates more than anyone I know! They're your father's enemy! Do you know what your father would do if-"

Lila smiled as she leaned against Bella who was now sitting across from her. Bella wrapped an arm around her and both girls were silent for a minute before Lila said, "Pirate Princess has a nice ring to it."

"Lila Mercedes Parrish, I can't believe you!" Belle said, laughing. Lila pulled up and looked Bella in the eyes as she said, "What? You don't remember the time when I was 6 and you were 10. We played like you were the captain of the Flying Dutchman and I was-"

"-Captian of the Black Pearl." Bella said with a laugh. "Your father hated it because I was playing his brother. But I always was. You would never let me be Captain of the Pearl..."

Lila smiled as she looked back at the sun...

----

"Please help me in welcoming, Her Highness. Miss Lila Parrish." She walked gracefully down the grand staircase as people applauded. She smiled at the hundreds of people that were filling the ballroom. Rupert, in his uniform, smiled (though he wasn't suppossed to) and allowed her to link her arm with his as he led her to the throne beside her father's. He gave her hand a polite kiss, before bowing, and taking his position beside her.

"On behalf of this kingdom, and myself, I welcome you to our palace." Neptune said, getting off of his throne. Lila was already getting bored, and her eyes scanned the room for people she knew. Andrew caught her eye and smiled. Forcing her smile, she looked to a man that was standing by the door to the balcony. Though he was dressed as all the men were in the room, something about him looked out of place. Even then she wasn't thinking that it was his jet black hair that was pulled tightly back revealing it to be in what appeared to be dreadlocks.

"-that we are going to war." That comment got a few gasps. Her father nodded, and said, "Yes. In the coming weeks. But, on a much happier note, it is my pleasure to announce to you that my daughter has accepted the Admiral's proposal." That got ooh's and ahh's and applause, not to mention an eye rolling from Lila. She was only doing it for her father. It made him so proud. Not only for him, but the kingdom, because she knew very deep down that Andrew would make a fine prince.

A fine husband, well, she wasn't so sure.

The dark haired man in the back of the room darted his black eyes to Lila as her father said that, but he was so far back, Lila couldn't get a good glimpse of him. When the dances began, she soon found herself in the arms of Admiral Beckett, twirling around gracefully on the dance floor. When they went in for another twirl, she caught a glimpse of that man. Not sure if it was the corset or just an excuse to leave Beckett for a moment, she said, "Um, darling-" She winced slightly at that. "-I'll just be a moment. I'm going to get some fresh air-"

"-do you want me to come with you?" Beckett asked her. She shook her head and said, "No, I'm fine. I shall return in just a moment." She politley bowed to her...fiancee...and excused herself from the ballroom. Once she was outside, she made a face as she let her hair down, falling into a cascade of golden-brown ringlets, and walked over to the railing, looking down at the sea below her.

That's where she wanted to be.

"Lila Beckett..." She said, with a slight groan. "Has a wonderful ring to it."

She suddenly got a smell of rum, as she heard footsteps come from behind her. A voice rang out a minute later, "Lila Beckett? Darlin', I leave you for just a few years, and you're already resortin' to the likes of him? Love, I'm hurt."

She smiled, before turning around and facing his golden-tooth grin. He walked up to her, mockingly, and said, "Lila, m'lady." He kissed her hand and said, "Wonderful to see you again, darlin'."

**_Tell me what you think!  
-Captain Autumn_**


	2. I Didn't Keep My Promise

_**I'm back.  
Like I said, I'm trying to take a small break from Distressin' Damsel, but I'll update it this weekend!  
-Captain Autumn**_

He laughed as she ran into his arms and picked her up, twirling her around. When he set her down, he smiled and said, "Princess, I'm hurt." She smiled at that grin, and said, "Don't be. I'm not doing it because I want to." He smiled at her again, and hugged her once more as he said, "Do ye know how much I missed you?"

"Probably as much as I missed you." Lila said, pulling back and looking down at him. When her eyes met with his once more, she said, "What are you doing here?" Time had changed many things, but time had most definitely not changed Captain Jack Sparrow. A smile played out on his handsome, ageless face as he wrapped an arm around her waist, and led her down to the courtyard.

"As you know, we're goin' to war-" He was cut off by Lila turning around rather quickly and saying, "Jack, I can't help you. Do you know what my father would do if he knew I was even talking to a pirate? I am going to be queen soon and-"

"How soon?" Jack asked, letting his hair fall down. Lila smiled at that, but quickly took her thoughts away and said, "I don't know. He said that Calypso gave the orders that his time was almost up. After the war, but there's not telling-"

"-how long that will last." Jack finished for her in a distant voice. He glanced out at sea once more, before turning his almost black eyes back to Lila and saying, "Lila, darlin', I'm not here to ask you to help me, well, I actually was but I knew that you couldn't-" He gave her a look that he knew would make her give in. It took her a minute, but finally giving in to those eyes, she said, "What do you need me to do?"

Jack smiled and said, "Good girl. How familiar are you with, well this is a stupid question. I was going to ask, but he is your fiancee."

"What does Andrew have to do with this?" She asked, not defensively, almost in a "I knew he was no good" kind of voice. Jack looked behind her, making sure they were alone in the courtyard and said in a whisper, "Do you know who his great-grandfather was?"

"Yes. Cutler Beckett. But I don't-" Jack leaned down, his lips almost touching hers. It shocked her, but then she realized that this was Jack Sparrow. He pulled back just a little, still staring at her, and said, "Love, that man wants more than you as a fiancee. He want's your kingdom." Jack pulled back, apparently not seeing Lila's flaming cheeks, and wrapped an arm back around her waist, "His great-grandfather was the head of he EITC-"

"The East India Trading Company? But that's been out of service for years!" Lila said, shocked. Being the daughter of a god, Lila only really aged about every few years. Though she had the appearance and health of a 20 year old, Lila was technically around the age of 135, being only 15 years old when the EITC was destroyed.

"Princess, he's bringing it back. And if we can't stop him, there's going to be three sides to this war." Lila groaned and sat down on the railing. Jack was standing up, looking down at her, before kneeling down in front of her so he could look her in the eyes. "Lila, darlin', I'm on your side. Pirates honor, I swear. I'm telling you this, because..." He trailed off for a moment, before saying, "Darlin', you could get seriously hurt or killed." Lila's eyes met his when he said that.

He tried to smile as he said, "But that's why you're going to help me." He got up, and stood in front of her. Taking her hand, he gently pulled her up, as she said, "When do we leave?" Jack smirked as he tried to pull his hair back up. Then, as the entered the ballroom once more, he leaned down and whispered, "That's the Lila I know."

---

"You're mad!"Arabella shrieked at her as she watched Lila pack in horror. She was also looking on in horror because of all things, Lila was in trousers and dressed like a pirate. She looked back into her face as she watched her pull her curls up. "Lila! You're-"

"Mad, I know. Don't you know me at all?" Lila said, flashing Bella a grin she hadn't seen in years. That made Bella smile as she said, "Then, I'm coming with you." Lila looked shocked for a moment, but smiled anyway and said, "You can't go in that."

Bella looked down at her dress, then said, "I'll go in whatever I please, Lila. You look like a man." Lila slung her bag over her shoulder, and smiled at Bella as she said, "Sticks and stones."

Once the two girls managed to sneak out of the castle, since Lila had been doing it for years if came as no problem for her, they walked down to the docks where Jack said the Pearl was going to be waiting for her. She finally saw those familiar black sails heading her way, followed by...

...the Dutchman.

Lila felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw the Dutchman sail behind the Pearl. Why hadn't she known it? She should have. After Elizabeth's death, those two captains had been closer than ever. Bella made a face when she saw the Dutchman as she said, "I thought your uncle died."

"He did die." Lila said, with a sigh as she walked over to the Pearl. Bella was still slightly confused, but followed Lila anyway. Once she was on the Pearl, she was met by a set of familiar arms wrapping around her, "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Your Highness." Jack said, smiling as he pulled back from her. She beamed up at him, and his eyes darted past her to Bella. "Ah, Miss Watson. Nice to see you again."

Bella's eyes went wide when she saw Jack, but she instantly relaxed and managed to say in a squeaky voice, "Jack, nice to see you." When Jack smiled at her, and turned away, Bella came up to Lila and said, "Jack Sparrow? You didn't tell me Jack-"

"Darling, it's the Black Pearl. You honestly didn't think that I was sailing with Barbossa, did you?" Lila asked her, giving her a grin as she followed Jack up the stairs to the wheel. "We're making port in Tortuga. I have some business I have to take care of there."

Lila smirked as she put a hand on the wheel. Jack would have killed pretty much anyone for doing that, but since it was her, she could do whatever she wanted. Actually, that sight made him smile. When she raised her gaze to meet his, she asked teasingly, "Business."

"Oh, shut it, Princess." Jack said, holding the other end of the wheel so that the two were looking eye to eye. Bella smiled as the two stared at each other. Jack looked like he was about to say something, or rather do something, when someone literally popped up from behind Jack. Out of thin air, really.

But that's one of the perks of being captain of the Flying Dutchman.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know-" The captain stopped talking as his gorgeous brown eyes rested on Lila. She lifted up from the wheel, and the two of them just stared at each other for a long time. Jack, glancing at Bella, said to her, "Ah, Miss Watson. I feel the need to leave...they need to...would you like some rum?" Jack wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders as she asked in a completely disgusted voice, "Rum?"

"Yes, darlin'. Rum. What did you think I said?" Jack's voice disappeared along with him as they walked below deck leaving Lila and the Dutchman's captain on the top deck, alone. Lila studied him for a moment. Like Jack, time had changed many things, but Captain William Turner still remained the same. Everything was the same about him. He was still extremely handsome, only a bit more tan.

But everything was the same.

She looked back up into the face of the man she hadn't seen since Elizabeth's funeral. "Your Highness." Will said to her in a polite voice, as if he was unsure as what he was going to say. Lila felt her cheeks heat up, but thankfully it was dark outside and he couldn't, or hopefully couldn't, see that.

"Will." She said, matching Will's voice. "Captain, now?" He smiled and looked down, as if he couldn't look into her eyes. Raising his gaze back up, he said, "Yes."

They stared at each other for a long time...

_**"**Will, I promise I'll come back for you." She whispered, as she felt his arm wrap around her waist. He sighed as they stood on the docks of Port Royal and said, "I know. Lila, I promise I'll always love you."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Only if you keep yours." He said, smiling. Before he leaned down and kissed her_.

Lila snapped back into reality. She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she turned from the dock, and left Will. She heard him sigh deeply as he called out, "Lila! LILA!" She felt him grab her arm and pulled her back. She found herself being forced to look back into those eyes of his. Those eyes that were making her-

"Lila, I'm sor-"

"Will." She said, silencing him. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I didn't keep my promise." She pulled her hand out of his and said, "You didn't have to keep yours."

_**Review?**_


	3. Not All Treasure

_**Rewiew por favor!**  
__**I love you, darlings.  
-Captain Autumn** _

"Sir?" Neptune tore his eyes off of the sun as it was making its appearance above the horizon to look at the very worried Rupert at his door. When he saw the king look at him, he immediately straightened up. Neptune smiled a small smile as he made his way back to his chair behind his desk and said, "Rupert, lad. Do come in and sit."

Rupert was hesitant at first, but he soon walked over to the desk and sat down in front of the tired king. Rupert waited for a moment before speaking, to see if Neptune was going to say anything. When he didn't, Rupert said, "I've talked to a servant who saw Lila, erm, the Princess last night, Sir." He was silently cursing himself for calling her Lila, while Neptune skimmed over that and asked, "And?"

"She told me that Jack Sparrow led her to the balcony last night-"

He was cut off by Neptune saying, "Well, why in the hell did she not alert me?" Rupert didn't answer, a little taken back by Neptune's outburst. Though he could get mean, Neptune was a generally calm and nice man. Taking a deep breath, he sat back down and motioned for him to continue. Rupert, a little scared by his outburst, said in a hesitant voice, "I don't know, Sir. I shall ask-" He paused for a moment, but continued, "-Sir, your daughter left on the Dutchman."

Neptune shuddered at the name of his late brother's ship. Yes, his brother was dead and no longer captain of that damned ghost ship, but he still hated the sound of it. "Jack Sparrow?" Neptune asked, raising his head off of his hands. Rupert only nodded as Neptune said, "I'd rather see her in his damned locker than in the hands of Jack Sparrow." He glanced up at the young man sitting before him and said, "Alert my army to board ships. Prepare for war."

"Aye, Sir." Rupert said, getting up out of his seat and walking over the huge oak doors. Just before the guards open the doors for him, Neptune stopped and said, "And Rupert?"

He turned to face the king and stood in attention once more. Neptune walked over to him and said, "Do tell the Admiral that I'd like a word with him." Rupert nodded, and exited the room. When he was gone, Neptune turned to see the huge painting hanging above the fireplace. He smiled to himself as the six year old Lila smiled back at him. Even in the painting, her green eyes were shining bright. Closing his own green eyes, he whispered to himself, "Darling, what have you done?"

Glancing at the sword resting against the door, he walked over to it, shoved it in his belt and walked out into the hallway. A startled Beckett had been standing by the door, but when he saw the king burst from his room, he followed him down the hall. "Sir?"

"I want you to pass a message on for me." Neptune said once the two men had exited the palace completely. The wind was blowing rather hard, causing Neptune's long blonde hair to fall in his face. Pushing it away, he glanced around the island that is palace sat on. Then, he looked over at the sun rise.

Beckett was waiting patiently to hear Neptune finish his statement, but came to stand beside him. He followed Neptune's gaze down at the reflection of the sun rise. In the reflection, it was clearly showing the sun setting, while when they looked up the sun was rising. Beckett made a disapproving, confused grunt before saying, "That's odd."

Neptune straightened and stared at the sun. Moments later, a green flash shot thru the morning sky. He closed his eyes as the men loading the ships began talking and asking questions about the green flash.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Beckett asked, but was cut off by Neptune turning to face him as he finished his sentence, "Tell the men to prepare for war. My daughter was kidnapped, and I'm taking down every damned pirate in these sevens seas to get her back." At this time, two things happened. Another green flash shot thru the sky, and Rupert came to stand beside Beckett. "Tell them to turn east and to prepare for battle."

Neptune pushed past the two men, leaving them to glance at each other. Beckett stared at Rupert before saying, "What? Didn't you hear him?" And with that, Beckett turned to follow Neptune as Rupert yelled to the army, "TURN THEM EAST, MEN! IT'S-"

"-war." The captain laughed bitterly as he came to sit beside the two young ladies sitting at the table. One drinking water, the other drinking rum. Another figure was vaguely seen in the shadows of the back corner of the bar. He leaned up against the wall, arms crossed, waiting for the captain to continue.

Jack laughed again as he continued to read from the paper, "-King Neptune has declared war against the pirates. Since his daughter, Princess Lila, was kidnapped at the ball this past week, he is taking this as a sign that the pirates are begging for war. Thus, the war has begun-"

Jack rolled his eyes as he walked to the table, placing the paper above the candle letting it burn. When it shot up in flames, he threw it down on the table and took Bella's water, pouring it on it. Ignoring her face, he put the not almost empty glass back in front of her, and stared up at Lila.

"Well, Jack. What do we do?" Jack reluctantly tore his eyes off of the princess to stare into the eyes of his former first mate. Will pushed himself off of the wall, and came to stand behind Lila.

Jack smiled up at him and asked, "Well, my dear William. What do we do?"

Lila laughed when she saw the look on Will's face. Though he made no sign that he was affected by the fact that Lila had laughed at him, he came to sit beside her as he said, "Jack, that's what I just asked you."

"Will-" Jack sighed as he rested his boots on the table, crossing them, "-I know. I was asking you for…dramatic purposes." Will rolled his eyes at that, but allowed Jack to continue. "What we're going to do is sail to this place where dear Beckett is holding this meeting, and stopping it at all costs. Hopefully, avoiding Neptune in the process…"

"What meeting?" Lila asked, raising her rum glass to her lips.

"The meeting Beckett's holding for the new members of the EITC." Will said, even though she had been asking Jack. She was surprised by two things. That he was actually talking to her, and that he was also looking at her. Their gazes lingered on each other for a moment, but was interrupted by Jack saying, "-damned man think he can do whatever that bloody 'ell he wants…"

Jack sent Lila over a smile that made her blush. Bella looked over at Jack and asked, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's just go-"

"-we can't." Will said, eventually taking his gaze off of Lila. "Beckett's no idiot. His great-grandfather certainly wasn't. He's probably got loads of men guarding the place."

"Where are they having this meeting, exactly, Jack?" Lila asked. Jack turned his gaze back on her as a smile spread across his handsome face. Not knowing why, she just waited for him to answer.

" London." Jack finally answered.

"Why are we here?"

"No reason." Jack said, smirking. "But does one need a reason to come to Tortuga?" Lila stuck a finger in her rum glass and flicked it on Jack. Making a mock wounded face, Jack smirked and said, "Actually, love. We did have a purpose to come here."

Will made a sound as Jack's eyes went down to Lila's neck. Startled at first, Lila then took her hands and unhooked the locket, handing it to Jack. Jack smiled at her, and said "Thank you, darlin'."

Following Jack down the dark path, Lila soon found herself behind Bella and Jack and walking beside Will. "What exactly are we doing?"

"Long story." Lila managed to say. She could feel Will's lingering gaze on her as the continued to follow the clearly drunk Captain Jack Sparrow down the path. She heard the rocks crunching beneath her boots as Will asked, "How are you? I haven't seen you since-"

He broke off. Lila knew what he was about to say, so she quickly said, "Good. You?"

"Same." Was Will's even quicker than Lila's response was. Lila took her eyes off of Will, but she knew even without looking at him that he wasn't taking his eyes off of her. Sighing, she opened her mouth, and was about to say something, but she soon found herself colliding against Jack. Which, might have been good, she thought. No telling what would have come out of her mouth...

"Easy, love." Jack said, laughing as he steadied her, not seeing Will's gaze as he kept his arms around Lila. Lila groaned inwardly when she looked in front of them and saw the inn. Jack looked back at the three and said, "Well, what are we waiting for?" The four of them walked into the inn. The innkeeper smiled when he saw Jack and Lila, "Ah, the two lovebir-"

"Easy, Larry." Jack said, keeping his gaze intense. Will was following Jack and Lila rather closely while Bella kept her distance from all three of them. Larry, the innkeeper, was behind the desk. He was missing part of his left eye, and both of his arms. He would have been missing all of his arm had he not had two hooks at the end of his stubs."The usual room." Jack replied, ignoring Will's shocked expression. Lila rolled her green eyes, but continued to stare at Larry who was now finding the keys. "Larry!" Lila cried, causing everyone in the room to stare at her. "That's Larry?" She glanced up at Jack.

"Of course it is." Jack said, flipping a shilling to Larry, taking the key and wrapping an arm around Lila's waist. "Well, then. We'll be on our way then…" He took Lila and basically pushed her up the stairs, unaware that Will was following closely behind him.

Larry was watching them, confused, as to the fact that he only gave Jack one key. "All four of ye?" Jack, who was now on the stairs, turned to look at Larry. Looking behind him at the two others that were trailing behind him and Lila, he said, "Yes. All of us. Goodnight, Larry." He smiled, causing Larry to look even more confused, but not wanting to ask, he gave them a wave as they disappeared up the stairs.

Once they were in the room, Jack shut the door and took out his gun. "AHH! WHAT IS HE-" Bella screamed, running behind Lila. This caused Jack to almost fall backwards since he was scared by her shriek, and Will to laugh. "He's not going to shoot you, Bels!" Lila said, moving closer to Will. Bella relaxed a little, but kept her position between Will and Lila, who were both watching Jack with amusement as he banged away at the floorboard. "What the bloody hell is he doing?" Will mumbled, staring at him in a mixture of amazement and horror.

After the floorboard was gone, Jack pulled out a chest with a heart shaped lock. He smiled up at Lila who reached into her pocket and pulled out her locket. She handed it to Jack, and watched him as he unlocked the chest.

"What's in the-" Will broke off when Jack opened the chest. Will moved closer to Jack as he lifted the chest up to him. Will looked at Jack in shock as Jack smirked up at the young captain and said, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."

**_Review?_**


	4. Where You Find Turner, There She'll Be

**_I'm not sure whether to make this Jack/Lila or Will/Lila...  
I'm having fun doing both..._**

**_-Captain Autumn_**

"Jack-" Will started, uncertainly when he felt Lila walk close up behind him. "-what...I don't understand what I'm looking at." Jack was still sitting inside the hole he had made in the floor, beaming into the chest. "What are we looking at?" Lila breathed hotly in Will's ear. Will made no sign whatsoever that it affected him in anyway and said, "No idea-"

"No, I really can't see it." Lila said, smiling at him. He stared at him for a minute, before realizing where he was standing. Smiling at her, more than anything trying to hide his now blushing cheeks, he moved over so that she could see into the chest.

"Thank you- What the bloody hell!" She shrieked when Jack pulled out the skull. She screamed, and would have fallen backwards had Will not caught her. Bella was only nodding in agreement as if to say that she was right, Jack was an insane killer and they were going to be his next victims. "Jack, you're mad!"

"Yes. I know." Jack said, sititng on the edge of the hole, so that his feet were dangling inside it. He beamed up at the young princess and said, "It's wonderful, isn't it?" He dusted off the skull by blowing on it, then raised it up so that it was smiling at Will. Will made a disgusted face and looked away as Jack said, "I told you. Not all treasure is silver and gold-"

"You did tell me that." Will said in agreement as Bella took a step backwards, scared where this was going. Jack made a mock sad face when he saw that, and turned the skull in her direction making her scream and run into the corner. "Jack- JACK. Honestly, stop it." Will said, smacking Jack's hand as he said, "But need I tell you that all treasure is certainly not-" He picked up a powdered wig, his eyes grew wide in realization, "- Cutler Beckett's skull."

"JACK!" Lila shrieked causing Will and Jack to jump. "Honestly! What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Lila looked down at Jack in complete and utter disgust and horror as Jack smiled at the skull. Jack shrugged and looked back up at the two clearly disgusted people in front of hiim, "I just thought it was funny."

"Funny? He thought it was funny." Will repeated with a disgusted laugh. "Jack, should I even ask how you got that in your possesion?"

"Ah, long story, mate." Jack said, pulling on Lila's arm to get himself out of the hole. She almost fell over with him, but immediatley straightened up when she saw the skull was merely inches from her face. "A few weeks after we killed 'im, we sailed back to that spot. I found his ship and started walkin' on it, you know-" He nodded as he looked up at them, truly thinking they in fact did know. Will and Lila exchanged glances, before silently agreeing to just nod. "-so, I saw this. And thought, 'Why not take it?' "

"Oh heavens, what is wrong with you?" Lila said, taking a deep breath and walking closer to Jack. "That is not only disgusting in so many ways, but it's completely pointless." She shrieked again when Jack made the skull peck her cheek. "That could be diseased!"

"It's not diseased." Jack said, matter-of-factly, sending an evil smirk in Bella's direction. Lila took another step behind Will as Jack darted his gaze back to her and said, "-he died in a firey explosion. Not from disease!"

"Does it matter?" Lila asked him, stepping from behind Will to face Jack once more. "It's still a dead person's head!"

"Yes. It is." Jack said, looking at it as if he was making sure that it was indeed dead. Will smacked his head as Jack said, "It's not alive."

"That is probably why I said it was dead." Lila said in a voice that you would use on infants. When Jack looked up and glared at her, she said in a harser tone, "Why do you have that thing? That's not what you put into the chest all those years ago!"

"I know, love. Who wants to hold Becky?" When no one offered, Jack said, "Pfft. Well, then. He shall come down with me." Jack disappeared into the hole once more and tossed the chest up to Will. Will apparently thought that the chest was a lot more heavy than Jack did, because as soon as the chest appeared in his arms, he nearly dropped it.

Jack and "Becky" appeared yet a moment later and stood next to Will, motioning for him to set it down. "Alright, then, love. This chest is holding the map-" He rested the skull carefully beside Lila. She was trying to fight the fact that she was entirely disgusted by this and remained as calm as she could. "-and that map that this chest is holding will show us in fact what we are looking for."

"You haven't exactly told us that, Jack." Will said, kneeling down beside Lila. Jack's chocolate eyes came back up and focused on Will as he said, "All you've said is that Admiral Beckett wants to take over Neptune's palace and if we don't do something soon, then there will be three sides to this war...that has already begun, need I remind you."

Silence accompanied Will's speech. Recovering, Jack said to Will, "You just like hearing yourself talk, don't you?" When Will opened his mouth to protest, Jack cut him off and said, "What we're doing is this. My dear ol' grandfather was an ex-navy person man, you know, for the king of England."

"Oh goodness." Will mumbled. Ignoring Will, Jack continued, "-as I was saying...when he turned pirate, he smuggled tons of these weapons and things in this cave off of the coast of the now completely sunken Isla de Muerta. As co-founder of the Brethren Court, he left these weapons to us in case we needed them. I kid you not, he's got enough weapons in that cave for two armies let alone pirates alone-"

"-we're fighting?" Lila asked. "In the war?" She tore her eyes off of Will to stare at Jack who was nodding, "Of course, love. What did you think we were going to do? Ask them to tea? I'm calling a meeting of the Brethren Court. We're going to build an army. Not to try and get your crown, love. Don't you be thinkin' that. But to save us from that damned Beckett whose tryin' so hard to bring back the EITC. We get our freedom back, you get your crown. It's a win-win type of deal, love. Savvy?"

He stuck out his hand, but she just smiled at him and said, "You've tiouched that skull, darling. I'm not-" He made a pouty face, so she said, "Fine." She laced her hands in his and said, "We have a deal, Captain Sparrow. I help you destroy the new EITC and you help me get that crown to it's rightful owner." Jack smiled at her, keeping her hand in his, and said, "Alright, Princess. Let us be on our way."

"Leaving so soon?" Larry asked when he saw the four walking down the stairs. Jack immediatley shoved the skull behind Will's back and said good-naturedly to the nearly armless man that was missing part of an eye, "Yes, we got what we wanted. 'Night, Larry." He whispered something in Will's ear and shoved him out the door. Wrapping an arm around Lila's waist, he and the two girls followed Will out of the inn, not looking back at a very confused Larry.

"You don't think he's going to mind when he sees a hole blown into his floor?" Will asked, carrying the chest. Jack hadn't revealed what else was in it, but since he had pulled out Cutler Beckett's skull, he didn't really care to know. One hand on Lila's waist, the other clutching Cutler's skull, Jack replied, "Will, he's missing part of his eye."

"He could still see it, Jack." Will replied, not sure where the captain was getting at this. Jack shrugged at the younger man and said, "Well, mate. The part of his eye missing is the same part of the room that the hole was blown, savvy?" Will stared at Jack, who released Lila and walked ahead to the Pearl.

Will sighed and said, "I'm sure if I really thought about it, that in some way, would make sense." Lila laughed, causing Will to smile. And together, the two of them followed the three (three counting Cutler's skull) to where the Pearl and the Dutchman were waiting for them.

"Did you or did you not see Jack Sparrow and the Princess come into this town?" Andrew hissed at Larry a few days later. They had gotten a lead that someone had seen Jack and Lila in Tortuga. Larry didn't answer, causing Andrew to pull the man up by his collar and put a gun to his head, "If you want, sir. I can make you a whole lot worse than missing arms and an eye. Were they here, or weren't they?"

When Andrew cocked the gun, Larry reluctantly gave in and said in a squeaky tone, "Yes. They were." Neptune, who had been standing by the door, turned so rapidly that his purple cloak nearly tripped Rupert. Walking over to Larry, he said as Andrew held the gun to his head, "Where did he take her?"

"They stayed for a while in their room-" Andrew and Neptune exchanged glances before Larry continued, "-but they left in a hurry just a few minutes later. They were in a rush. I swear to you, I have no idea where they were going. Please don't-" Neptune nodded, and Andrew reluctantly dropped the man as he said, "What room?"

"309."

"What did you mean by '_their_' room?" Neptune asked him as his men followed Rupert up the stairs. When Larry didn't answer again, all Andrew did was hold up his gun. Taking a big gulp he said to Neptune, "They've stayed there before is all. Same one everytime."

"There's been other times?"

"Yes. But there were more people with them this time." Larry said, not wanting Andrew to almost kill him again.

"Who?" Andrew said in a way that made him the mirror image of his late great-grandfather. Neptune noted that, before turning back to the scared old man, "A girl. She looked of Spanish decent. I think the princess called her Bel or Belle or something like that. But the other man, I cleary recognized. William Turner-"

"Turner." Was all Neptune said. Andrew glanced over at him, wanting to ask, but Neptune cut him off by smiling down at Larry and saying, "Thank you. You're help was greatly needed. Lower your weapon." Andrew did as he was told, and followed the king up the stairs. Once they were on the stairs, Andrew asked, "Turner? As in-"

"As in Jack Sparrow's former first mate and best friend." Neptune replied in a dry voice. "As in the same Will Turner that my daughter was in love with years ago." When he felt Andrew tense up, he whirled around and said, "When I left her on Port Royal with her aunt during the mutiny hundreds of years ago, she fell in love with him. They were together for years, but she left to set sail with Sparrow. I didn't find this out until last summer when I overheard her and Bella talking about it. I didn't press it because I thought she had changed."

Neptune sighed as they came to room 309 and said in a whisper, "I guess she just got her mother's pirate blood is all." Andrew stared at the old king for a long while. He had never heard the king talk anything about her mother. Neither of them did. That was the first he heard of it. Andrew opened his mouth to speak, but Neptune was already walking in the door.

He stared at the empty hole in the floor as Rupert came over to him, "Sir, there's nothing." He looked down at the young man who was looking up at him with a worried face. Neptune walked over to the window and said, "No. There's something."

"What, sir?" Andrew asked as he and Rupert came to walk behind Neptune, waiting for him to speak. Not turning around, Neptune said in a toneless voice, "Andrew, you said a lot of our men were killed in a battle off the coast of Singapore, correct?"

"Yes, Sir. I did. But I don't see-"

"-where you find lost souls, you find the Dutchman." Neptune said in that same tone of voice. "-where you find the Dutchman, you find Turner. And where you find Turner-"

He whirled around to look at the two men, "-You'll find my daughter."

**_Review?_**


	5. Question Time!

**Hey! Ok, so a girl on this message board was doing this, and I decided hey! That's not a bad idea at all!  
So, here's your chance to be in a Pirates story!  
Just give me the name you want to have, where you're from and just a short little bio about you.**

**-You can't have had any "romantic" relationships with Jack or Will-  
**that would mess with my storyline :)

**Basically just put this.  
Name:  
Age:  
Occupation:  
Short Biography:**

**And put what side of the war you want to be on. Whether it be the the pirates side, Neptune's side, or the EITC's side.  
No more than about 5 or 6. But if you PM it to me, or send it in your review, I'll try and fit your name in.  
But only about 5 or 6 will actually get to have major parts.**

**I love you, darlings!  
-Captain Autumn**


	6. Love Shall Never Die

**Ok! Update time!  
Thanks for all my new pirates! I'll try and fit you all in.  
You can keep them coming. It doesn't matter how many I get! Just don't forget to review too:)**

**And I can still take pirates, but if you want to, I need some EITC.  
Love you guys!  
-Captain Autumn**

**My piratas in this chappie are:  
**CaptainElizabethTurner: Anya Starvansky  
sweetgirl8353: Lena Walker  
ClumsyElf : Jilly Stone  
teepirategirl: Roxana Williams

**ENJOY!**

_"Yo, ho.  
Haul together.  
Hoist the colors high.  
Heave, ho.  
Thieves and beggars.  
Never shall we die."_

She heard footsteps coming up behind her. It was very early in the morning and she didn't think that anyone else would be up. She was half expecting it to be Jack, so she didn't bother to try and cover up the fact that she was just wearing a night gown. The kind her father yelled at her for "prancing around the palace whilst in men's presence". She sighed when she thought of her father. She really did miss him.

"I hate that song." She nearly jumped a mile when she recognized the voice as Will's, not Jack's. _Well_, she thought, _too late to change now_. So, she decided to make no sign that it was bothering her. When she felt him come and stand beside him, she asked, "Why?"

She reluctantly tore her eyes off of the sun rise to look into the eyes of Will. But when she did that, she saw that he was still staring off at the sun rise like she had been doing. He looked tired. She knew that it was probably the fact that his job had become so busy. He'd had so many souls the last week because some of her father's men were killed in a battle just a few miles back...which meant, her father was getting closer.

He didn't answer her questionfor a moment, but said eventually, "I don't know. I guess it just reminds me of myself is all."  
He turned his head slightly so that he was looking down at her. She dropped her gaze as she said in a softer tone, "Will, I never got a chance to tell you at the fune-" She paused for a moment, before staring back out at the sea. "-I mean, I'm really sorry." She was releaved when she heard him chuckle softly from her side.

Somehow, that gave her courage to look back into his eyes as he said, "Li, don't worry about it. It was years ago. She wouldn't have wanted me to dwell on her death." But by the way he said that, Lila knew that he was still in fact dwelling on Elizabeth's death.

"You left so quick after the service for her was done." Will said, walking just a little closer to Lila. She pushed a curl out her face as he said, "Why did you do that?" He darted his intense brown eyed gaze to her. But this time, she didn't drop her gaze.

"I didn't think that I should have been there-"

He smiled. One she instantly remembered as the one he had given her so many times years ago, "Li, what makes you think that? Of course I wanted you there. She would have wanted you there as well. Why would you think otherwise?" Lila didn't answer. The reason was that she felt all those years that she was just standing in the way of Will and Liz. Elizabeth had her eye on Norrington while Will and Lila were together, but Lila always felt that Will had something for Elizabeth...

That's why she left with Jack. She was just getting in the way of destiny.

Goodness, who had told her that last? Oh, _her._

"Will, I'm sorry I did that." Lila said, turning to face him compeltely. "I mean, I just...I don't know. I wouldn't have come to her funeral had Jack not made me." Lila paused for a moment, looking up into Will's unreadable expression. "Will, I just felt like-"

"- I was the reason, wasn't I?" Will asked her, cutting her sentence off. Which was probably a good thing, considering that she had no idea what she was about to say. "Lila, just say it. I was the reason you didn't want to come to her funeral-" Lila tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist exactly like he had done the first night she was here. She found that she soon had no choice but to look in his eyes as he said in a hurt voice, "I was the reason you left Port Royal. Just say it."

"I didn't want to get in the way of that path that you were clearly set on." She whispered. She was almost shocked when Will leaned down closer to her, their lips getting ever so closer, and said, "That wasn't the question I asked you, was it?" She was about to look away, but she soon felt Will's hand on her cheek, pulling her face up back to his, "Lila, you left because of me."

"I left because I was in love with you." She pulled out of his reach and whispered on the verge of tears, "I loved you enough to let you go."

Will's face fell when she said that, and he took a step back from her, unable to speak. A tear rolled down her cheek as he whispered, "Lila-"  
She just shook her head and walked past him, back down into the lower decks. When she did that, Will looked in the direction in which she just ran to see Jack and Bella standing on the stairs, staring at him. "Mate, what did you do to her?" Jack asked, in a voice Will had never heard him use before. Will just closed his eyes and leaned against the railing, singing the last line of the song Lila was singing just moments ago:

_"...never shall we die..."_

"State your name and your order of business, if you will." Jack said in his best "captain" voice as he sat behind a table at the bar. They were on some island off the coast of Singapore trying to round up more members for his crew. Jack glanced up at the young girl in front of him. He made a face, before leaning over in his seat to see that every single person in that line was a girl.

"Oh, bugger." Jack mumbled as he leaned back in his seat, forcing a smile at the girl that was before him. "Well?"

"The name is Jilly Stone." She relied cooly as she pulled her long hair back. Jack clicked his tongue as he examined the young girl, who was probably even younger than Lila, and asked, "Darlin', how old are you?" She rolled her dark eyes and said, "I'm 19."

Jack sighed and leaned back once more as he said with a smile, "You see that girl over there?" Jilly turned to follow Jack's gaze to land on Lila who was standing by the bar with Bella. When she saw them looking at her, she immediatley looked angry and mouthed, 'What?' Jilly turned back to Jack as he said, "She's barely 21 and I have a bit of a problem with her being on board-"

"-yes, but unlike Princess Parrish, she's not your girl." Jack felt like banging his head against the table when he heard that familar voice ring out from behind Jilly. Trying his hardest to ignore the fact that the owner of the voice was now visible behind Jilly, he said to her, "Can you wield a sword?"

Jilly beamed proudly as she said, "My father and mother were captains of the Night's Storm."

Jack's eyes grew wide at the sound of that ship. Her parents were killed fighting alongside himself years ago during a mutiny. They were in fact some of the greatest pirates he will admit to knowing. Clicking his tongue once more, he said to Jilly, "Aye. So that'd make ye White Shark's daughter?" When she nodded, he smiled up at her and said, "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Stone." He motioned for her to walk in the direction of Lila. When Lila caught his gaze as Jilly sat on the bar stool next to her, she sent him a glare.

Sighing, he turned back to the girl in front of him. He knew those hazel eyes anywhere. "Roxy." He tried to say that in a good natured voice, but it came out slightly weird. Roxana Williams smirked at him as she pulled her long, jet black curls back. He sighed once more and said, "I don't even have to ask you anything. Get over-" He stopped when he saw those damned throwing stars hanging from her belt.  
"-Welcome aboard the Pearl, Captain-"

"-it's not captain anymore, Jack. You should know that. I'm sure that knowing how close you and Will are you were with him when he picked up the souls of my crew." Jack glanced over at Will who had just walked in the door of the bar. Trying his best to avoid Lila, Will came to stand behind Jack, proving Roxy's point. "Bad timing, Will." Jack mumbled to Will, while keeping his smile on Roxy.

Will was about to open his mouth and say something to Jack, but stopped when he saw Roxy, "Oh, Roxy. Nice to see you again." Unlike she did with Jack, she beamed up at Will and said in a pleasant voice, "William. Nice to see you as well, mate." She glared back down at Jack who managed to say, "You're in, love." Roxy raised her eyebrows as she walked past Jack and Will in the direction that Jilly had walked in moments before. "She scares me." Jack whispered to Will, who was laughing as he sat beside Jack.

"Hell's Spitfire." Will whispered to Jack as Roxy walked over and hugged Lila. "Damn, that must have been the worst bloody mess I've seen in a long time..." He trailed off as Jack said, "State your name and order of business, if you will." He looked at the even younger girl standing in front of him. "Oh goodness." He whispered to Will who was staring at Lila. Jack followed Will's gaze and nudged him.

"Sorry, mate." Will said to Jack with a smile as he turned back to the young girl standing before them.

"Darlin', Lena." Jack smiled when she walked over to him. "How are ye, Miss Walker?"

"Fine, Jack." She said in a voice just slightly tinted with a Spainish accent. "How are you?"

He glanced at Lila, causing Will to follow his gaze. Turning back to Lena, he said, "I'm doing very well." Will was watching Jack very closely as he said, "How's your uncle?"

"Good." Lena was staring at Will, but managed to look back over at Jack as she asked, "So?"

"So, what, love?" Jack asked her, biting on his pen. When she made a face, he laughed and said, "Miss Walker. Come now, love. Did you really have to ask me that? Welcome aboard the Black Pearl." He winked at her as she made her way over to the other girls.

"Ah, Miss-" Jack squinted his eyes at the paper in front of him, trying to read her name off. "Miss...Stavenhoskiewallows." Jack beamed up at the young girl who was staring at him with a strange expression before she said, "It's Starvansky."

"That's what I said, love." Jack said, ignoring Will who was laughing beside him. Jack elbowed Will once more as he said, "What business do you have here, love? You look a bit young, don't you? How old are you?" He looked her up and down and asked, "12?"

"I'm 16." She replied, causing Will to laugh even more. Jack didn't even bother to hit Will this time, he only looked up at her and said, "Well, still. That's a tad bit young for a-"

"No, it's not. I can wield a sword, and with every intention plan on sailing with you to get revenge for my parents." Jack and Will exchanged glances, before Will asked, "Who were your parents?" When she was silent, Jack glanced at Will once more before saying, "Alright, Swallyhogons-"

"Just call me Anya."

"Whatever." Jack said, smiling at her as the two men got up from their seats. "You're in." She smiled at him, and gave him a slight nod before she walked over to the others. Jack put his two hands together and nodded at the remaining girls as he said, "Sorry, ladies. I've got enough of-" They all groaned causing Jack to nod sadly, "I know. I know. It hurts me too."

Will's gaze landed on Lila who was getting off of her barstool and going to stand with the other girls. When she turned to see him staring, he quickly dropped his gaze and turned back to Jack who was saying, "Ol' Jackie wishes he could take all of ye, but I can't, darlins. I'll be back though." He put on his hat, as he put a hand on Will's shoulder, "Count on that." As they walked out, the girls were screaming, "Bye, Jack!" and some, "We love you!" and a few, "_Who _was his friend?"

"What the bloody hell was that?" Will asked as the two of them followed the girls back to where the Pearl and Dutchman were waiting for them. Jack couldn't even hide his smile as he removed his hand from Will's shoulder and said, "What, mate? Couldn't have 500 obsessed girls on me ship, could I? One's bad enough."

"Watch it, Sparrow." Came Lila's voice from behind him. Will nearly jumped, because he thought that she was walking with the other girls. Jack, however, was unaffected by this, and merely wrapped an arm around her waist. Will glanced over at her, and she was clearly avoiding his gaze. Jack whispered something over to her, causing her to laugh. Simply not caring what they were talking about, Will was lost in his own thoughts...

_"Li?" She didn't turn around, she just moved over on the dock so he could come sit beside her. "Darling, what's wrong?" He asked her when he came to sit beside her. Her bright green eyes were a bit bighter than they usually were which alarmed him a little. She rested her head against his chest when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders._

_"Will, do you love me?" She asked a minute later. Will was a little shocked by her question. They had been courting to each other for nearly a year now, and he'd said that to her almost every single day...many times every single day. "Darling, of course I do."_

_"Are you sure?" She asked him, raising up. At only 16, Lila acted far much older than many girls he knew. He pushed back one of her curls as he said, "Yes. I love. And I will always love you."_

_She smiled as she whispered, "Promise?"_

_"I promise." And with that, he leaned over and kissed her. Though, he couldn't shake the thoughts of another girl he knew...Elizabeth..._

He was brought out of his thoughts when he looked up and saw Lila standing on the dock just as she was in his memory. Jack was down further on the beach, talking to the girls he had just recruited, leaving them alone on the docks. Her eyes were shining bright in the moonlight, and her eyes weren't really focused.

He took a deep breath, and did it.

"Lila!" He cried as he ran over to her. She was startled by his actions, but turned around anyway. He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes as he said, "Li, I-" But he was broken off by the sound of a gun shooting. Will pushed her to the ground as another one went off. Keeping an arm around her, the two of them got up and ran as fast as they could, before running behind a deserted shop that was just off of the dock. "Who was that?" Will said, bringing Lila close to him. He could feel her heart pounding, and he knew (had he had one) that his heart would have been doing the same.

They hadn't been shooting in their direction, but still.

Keeping a hand in Will's, she walked to the edge of the shop to look out at who had been shooting. She felt her breath catch when Will leaned against her, looking out as well. After a minute, Will's suspicions were confirmed, "Li, isn't that-"

She knew that purple cloak from anywhere.

**_Thanks to my pirate girls!  
:)  
You'll be back!!  
Keep 'em coming, but after I get so many, I may have to stop accepting them!  
I love you guys!  
Hugs, kisses, and piratas muy caliente,  
-Captain Autumn_**


	7. Commodore Norrington's Powdered Wig

**And I can still take pirates!  
Love you guys!  
-Captain Autumn**

**My piratas in this chappie are:  
**CaptainElizabethTurner: Anya Starvansky  
sweetgirl8353: Lena Walker  
ClumsyElf : Jilly Stone  
teepirategirl: Roxana Williams  
brisingr3: Gwen Matthews

**ENJOY!**

Neptune's long blonde hair was blowing in the wind as he walked along the streets of that small town. "Andrew, are you mad?" He scolded the young Admiral as he pulled the gun out of his hands, "I want my daughter back, not dead."

Andrew didn't say anything, only nodded as Neptune tossed the gun to Rupert who was standing behind him. "Have you talked to anyone?" Neptune asked, getting over it apparently, and continued to walk down the now deserted streets. "No, Sir."

"Why ever not?" Neptune spat at him as he whirled around. Andrew was taken back by this, and just stared into Neptune's murderous face as he said, "I'm getting a tad bit fed up with you, Admiral, I must say. I'm starting to question your intentions." Andrew was completely at a loss for words when he said that. Neptune took a warning step towards him and said, "What are your intentions?"

"To find my fiancee, Sir. And to aid you in the war." Andrew said, trying to mantain his tough, unphased voice. Rupert was eyeing him suspiciously as Neptune stared at him. Rupert was starting to question Andrew as well. It seemed as if Andrew was keeping a secret from them, and if you asked Rupert, he suspected that it was because the crown was now at stake. What he couldn't place, is that even if Neptune and Lila were killed, or stepped down, the crown would go to the next royal family, being Calypso. Lila's godmother.

"Sir, if I may?" Rupert asked, stepping in front of the shocked Admiral. Neptune nodded at the young man, and Rupert said, "I've got a Gwen Matthews back at the Morning Sun. She's familar with Li- I mean, the princess. She saw them."

Neptune smiled over at Rupert, wondering why he hadn't asked him to marry his daughter. As it was seeming, Rupert was more concerned about his daughter's safety than Andrew was. "Nice work, Rupert." Before following him back to the Sun, Neptune stopped and said to Andrew in a warning voice, "You're not leaving my sight."

"Jack!" Jack turned from Lena, who he was talking to, to see Will and Lila running up to them. "Jack-" Lila was running so fast that she would have fallen, had Jack not caught her, "Darlin', what's wrong-"

"-Neptune's here." Will said for her, trying to catch his breath. The amused look on Jack's face disappeared as he kept an arm around Lila and walked up to Will, "Where was he?"

"Back there-" Will said, motioning to the docks. "He didn't see us...but he was close-"

"Alright." Jack said, nodding at Will. Turning to the Pearl, he yelled up, "ROXY!" Her head appeared over the edge a few seconds later, "Be a dear and tell Master Gibbs that we shall be needing to leave. Immediatley." Roxy nodded about the same time that Jilly ran up to Jack and said, "They've got Gwen."

"Gwen who?" Jack asked, wrinkling his nose. "I don't remember-"

"Gwen Matthews, Jack." Lila said, looking up at his handsome face. "Remember? Her mother was a maid at Larry's inn? She came here to look for her father-" Lila turned to Jilly and asked, "Where did they take her?"

"I don't know. A man took her on to a ship." Anya said, coming to stand beside Jilly.

"What did the man look like?" Will asked the girls. Jilly shrugged, but Anya said, "Tall. In a Navy uniform. Purple and white uniform. He was very handsome. He had reddish hair, brown eyes. Why?" Jilly looked at Will, waiting for an answer, but Anya was looking at Lila who was nodding as she asked, "What did the ship look like?"

This time it was Jilly who answered, "Looked a bit like the Pearl, actually. But more Navy built, if you know what I mean. It's flags had a sun on them-" She cut off when she saw Lila's face. Lila turned to Jack and said in a quiet voice, "Jack, it's the Sun. Rupert took-"

"Alrighy, men." Jack started, but stopped when he saw Will. "Well, eunuch and ladies-" Will rolled his eyes as Jack said, "We're going to split up and rescue Miss Matthews from Ronald-"

"Rupert." Lila corrected Jack, automatically.

"Yes, Rupert's grasp as well as her father's." Jack looked back up to the Pearl and yelled, "ROXY!"

"WHAT?" She yelled back down at him, obviously fed up with him already. Jack rolled his eyes and yelled up at her, "Tell Gibbs not to worry about it. We have a need to stay." She groaned and walked away from the rail, to find Gibbs once again.

"Alright then." Jack said to the group, moments later as they neared where the Sun had made port. Jack motioned for the girls and Will to stand behind him. Turning back to them, he said, "We're splitting up. Will, go with Roxy-"

"No." Roxy said, crossing her arms. "What do you mean no?" Jack asked her, crossing his own arms looking her in the eye. "Of course you're going-"

"No, I'm not."

"I'm going with Lila, so you're going with Will." Jack said to her, narrowing his eyes. Roxy laughed and said, "No, I'm not."

Lila rolled her eyes and said, "Both of you, shut up. Alright?" She hopped on to a barrel and said, "You act as if your bloody brother and sister. Alright, I'll split us up. Since Roxy's probably the strongest out of us girls, she'll lead Bella, Anya and Jilly. Lena will accompany Jack, Will and myself-" She turned to look at Jack and Will and said with a sigh, "-that way I can keep an eye on both of you. All in favor of that?"

"Aye." Roxy said, taking one of the flares from Jack. Jack rolled his black eyes, but was obviously very pleased at the fact that he was walking with Lila. Anya pulled her brown waves up and asked, "What do we do if one us is captured?"

"Shoot this flare-" Will said, pointing to the green one. "There's four of the green ones, four of the red ones. If one of you is captured, shoot a green one. If you rescue Gwen before we can get to you, shoot a red one-"

"And if one of you dies, scream as if Hector Barbossa asked you to marry him-" Jack said, smirking as he pushed himself off of the wall. "-and if we have no luck whatsoever, we will meet back at the Pearl in...one hour. Sound good?"

"Sounds dangerous and completely stupid." Jilly said with a sigh, "But yes. We really don't have a choice, do we?" Jack smiled at her as he put an hand on her shoulder and said to her, "No, love. Ye don't."

Lila felt Will's arm push her back against the ship. She put her's on his, waiting for Rupert to pass by. Lena and Jack finally caught up to them, and did the same when they saw him. When he was gone, the four made their way over to the edge of the ship. "Where would they be keeping her?" Lena asked Lila as the two girls followed Jack and Will into the ship. Lila shrugged and said, "Not sure. Probably the captain's quarters. My father has to big of a heart, so he rarely uses the brig."

"You know damn well what I'm talking about-" They heard something hit the table, more or less, a fist. "-where is she?" The four carefully made their way to the other side of the door and looked in to see Gwen sitting at the table, as Beckett circled her. Neptune was sitting in the far corner, not really paying attention to her.

"I told you. Jack Sparrow came here last weekend to round up a crew. I was in line to join, but he found enough. That was a week ago! I don't know where she is, I swear." Gwen was a pretty good liar. Especially considering the fact that Jack had rounded up his crew just hours ago.

"You're lying-" Andrew spat at her. "-I know you are. You were once friends with Lila, weren't you? You mother was the maid at the inn Jack and Lila frequently stayed at. You are her friend, and you know damn well where they are-" When Gwen didn't answer, Beckett slammed his fists down once more and said, "ANSWER ME!"

"I don't think she knows, Admiral. Stand down, for heaven's sake! She's a child." Neptune said, defending the 15 year old girl that was sitting before him.

"She's not a child, she's a damn pirate-"

"I don't care what the hell she is-" Neptune said, pushing Andrew backwards. "-she's a child! Stand down immediatley or I will make you stand down and you'll lose your position, because I've about had it with you and your bloody lies. Do you hear me?" Neptune spat at Andrew who was walking backwards.

"Yes, Sir."

"Damn right." Neptune whirled around so fast, that because of his cloak, he was a purple flash momentarily. As Andrew began intterogating once more, Lila walked over to the end of the hallway and grabbed a candle. "What are you doing, Li?" Will whispered as she took a flare out of the bag. "I said to myself, think like Jack." She whispered back to Will, sending a smirk in Jack's direction. He smiled down at her as the three backed up behind her. "When I say go-" She said, placing the flare over the candle and nodding towards a closet, "-go in there, savvy?"

They nodded at Lila and waited for her signal, "Go!" She whispered harshly as she dropped the now flaming flare. The four ran in the closet and locked the door. A few moments later, a loud bang when off. They heard voices and footsteps running back and forth. Only being able to see from the small candle Lila was still holding, Jack whispered, "What now, Princess?"

Lila was cut off from her thoughts when she felt Will holding her hand. She looked down at their entwined hands in shock...staring as if they were so completely mesmorizing... "Princess!"

"What?" She asked, unfortunatley making Will let go of her hand. "Oh, sorry, Jack." She reached over and unlocked the door as she whispered, "Just follow me and don't do anything stupid." She felt Will close at her heels as Jack whispered, "When do I ever?"

"Damn, Jack." Will whispered, causing Jack to laugh. Rolling her green eyes, Lila took Will's hand and ran out of the closet. Lena collided with Lila as she whispered, "Where's Jack?" Lila turned around to see Jack still in the closet. "Jack, get out of the damn closet!"

Jack was smirking as emerged in a powdered wig, causing Will to laugh as Jack said, "Good day. I'm Commodore Norrington." Will and Jack laughed as Jack pranced around the hall swinging his hips back and forth as he did so, "Aren't I so pretty?"

"Excuse me, _Commodore_. But I do believe that if you two don't shut up, we could very well get killed!" Lila whispered to the two boys that were now laughing almost to the point where she was surprised that they were still able to breath. Hell, Lena was even laughing now. Lila rolled her eyes as Jack tossed her a wig and said, "Want to be Lord Beckett-"

"-no I do not want to be Lord Beckett." She said, throwing the wig back so that it hit Jack in the face. "Bloody hell." She motioned for them to follow her in the direction of the room. Everyone was so worried about the boat going into flames, that the hall was deserted. Jack had found a new wig. This one was long and curly. He smirked at Will and said, "Look! I'm Governor Swann!" Will started laughing again, but tried up when he saw Lila's face.

"I like being Norrington better." Jack said, switching wigs as they walked into the room where Gwen was tied up. She looked up at them and said in surprise, "Lila?" Lila ran up and hugged her as she said, "Oh, darling. I'm so sorry." She pulled out her sword and cut off her ropes. When Gwen was free, she wrapped her arms around Lila and said, "Jack?"

The two girls turned around to see Jack doing another Norrington impression. Will stopped laughing when he saw Lila's face. And Jack just started swinging his hips more. "Jack, darling. Stop. That is so-"

But Lila never got a chance to finish what she was going to say, because at that time, a voice from behind her called out, "Princess."  
When Lila saw Will's face, she wished that she never even looked at him. Her heart pounding against her chest, she spun around to face him.

Trying to force a smile, she managed to choke out, "Rupert."

_**Review?**_


	8. Who's To Say?

**As of right now, I've got enough pirates. If you want to be  
in the EITC or on Neptune's side, that's fine.  
Love you guys!  
-Captain Autumn**

**My piratas:  
**CaptainElizabethTurner: Anya Starvansky  
sweetgirl8353: Lena Walker  
ClumsyElf : Jilly Stone  
teepirategirl: Roxana Williams  
brisingr3: Gwen Matthews

**ENJOY!**

"Lila, do you know what you've put us all thru?" Rupert asked her as he walked over and shut the door, locking it. Jack took this opprotunity to remove his wig. "We've been thru hell and back-"

"You know nothing of hell." She whispered to him as Will stiffened behind her as she said that. Jack glanced down at Will, a different look coming into his chocolate eyes, before turning back to Rupert and saying, "Don't suppose you remember me-"

"Jack, of course I do." Rupert said to Jack, not really smiling at him. Just...expression less. "You're an idiot-" He looked down at Lila and said, "Both of you-"

"-Rupert, what do you think I'm doing this for the fun of it?" She laughed bitterly as Will walked over to Gwen and helped her out of her ropes. "That damned Beckett is only marrying me to get to the crown. Jack's helping me, because if we don't do this, then there's going to be three sides of this war!" When Rupert's expression didn't change, Lila took his hand and said, "Not all pirates are bad."

"All evidence to the contrary, love." Jack replied with a small smirk, ingoring Will's expression as he did so. Lila whirled around and hissed, "Jack, shut it." Turning back to Rupert she said, "Please don't tell my father-"

"Lila, you mean alot to me-" Jack smirked when Rupert said that. More or less because Will made a noise. Jack started making kissy faces behind Will's back, causing Lila to have to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Sighing, Rupert looked away from Lila and said to Jack ,"You think you could control yourself? Possibly for five minutes?"

"Physically impossible, mate." Jack said proudly as he sat down on the ground. "Can we hurry this up? Because I'd like to know if Captain Grumpy is going to let us free, or if I shall be sayin' my prayers considerin' I have an appointment with the gallows in the mornin'." Ignoring Jack once more, Rupert looked back down at Lila and said, "You mean a lot to me, Princess." Now it was Will's turn to smirk. Only Jack called her princess, and Jack was making it known. "Lila, I don't want you to get hurt. Especially not with the likes of Jack-"

"He's not as heartless as it may seem, Rupert. Sorry to disappoint you." Lila said to him, narrowing her eyes that were for some reason a bit brighter than they should have been. "And if it disappoints your further when I say that I trust him with my life, I'm sorry." Jack smiled up at Lila when she said that. Lila took a step back and said, "You can tell my father. Fine. Send Jack to the gallows. Go ahead-"

"Now, I don't think that's such dandy idea, darlin'." Jack said, now completely unsure of what the young princess was saying. He was tugging at her sleeve from where he was sitting, but she wasn't She just continued, "So, go ahead, Rupert. Tell my father and arrange an appointment for Jack at the gallows. But I want you to know, that you'll be hanging two people."

Rupert shook his head at her, saying, "You need to find you place in this world, Miss Parrish."

"I already have." She replied, cooly. "If it is my destiny to die a pirate, fine. So be it. Because you want to know where my place is? It's sure as hell not on that damn throne back at the palace. It's certainly not with Andrew Beckett. Whether it be on the Pearl, or the Dutchman or just on the sea, my place is here. And I'm changing that for anything." She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Rupert to make a move. He had his gun raised to Jack, but now that Lila had moved in front of him, he lowered it.

"Heavens, Lila. You don't know what you're doing." Rupert said to her as he lowered his gun altogether now.

"I know exactly what I'm doing." She said to him with a smile. "You don't know what you're doing." Rupert glanced down at his Navy uniform before looking back into Lila's shining eyes as she said, "Now, you have a choice to make, Rupert. Turn us in, and when I say us I mean me as well, I'm going down with them. Or, you can choose to do the right thing and not tell my father, and let us go. I've made my choice, what's yours?" Lila's gaze was so intense that Rupert had to drop his own...

"How far away is the Pearl?" Lila smiled at him and threw her arms around him. Rupert laughed and said, "We don't have much time. Your father will be back any moment." Lila pulled back and looked at him in shock as she said, "We?"

"Yes. We." Rupert said, smiling. "We as in me and you-" He motioned to the others. "Someone has to keep an eye on you." Lila smiled again as she hugged him and said, "Thank you." But as she said that, she could hear footsteps coming closer to the door. They broke apart as Rupert ran to the window and opened it, "Where's the Pearl, Jack?"

"On the east docks." Jack said, pulling one side of the window open. When the window was completely open, Jack motioned for the three girls to go first. Once they were out of the ship, the boys followed.

"They'll see us." Lena whispered as she looked behind Will. The four of them turned to see what Lena was looking at, and were surprised to see a bunch of the navy walking in their direction, the only thing hiding them were barrels. "What do we do?" She asked, turning to Will and Jack who were already lifing up an overturned rowboat. They motioned for them to follow, and everyone piled under it and began walking towards the water.

"Are you alright?" Lila felt a shiver go down her spine when Will asked that. It was so crowded as they walked under that rowboat, and his breath was hot against her neck. She reached up and tried to wipe water from her eye, but since they were under water, it only made it worse. Dipping her hand back into the water, watching the line of kohl disappear, she said, "Yes. Why?"

"No reason." He whispered. It wasn't a very large rowboat, so Will had to whisper, lest a certain Captain Jack hear them talking. "It's just...you said something back at the..." He trailed off. Had they not be partially under water, and under a heavy rowboat, Lila would have turned around to look at him. But many things were preventing that from happening.

"Oh, that..." Lila whispered, nervously biting her lip. "I didn't mean-"

"Don't lie to me." He whispered gently in her ear. "You never were a good liar."

"I was." Lila replied as she continued to walk, holding the boat up. "You just knew me too well."

Will chuckled and said, "Maybe a little too well." He stopped momentarily and said, "I'm sorry for all I've done to you." Lila closed her eyes, letting Jack and Rupert lead the boat. "Will, everything happens for a reason."

"How can you say that?" He asked her. But she never got a chance to reply, because at that time Jack said, "Arlight, we're under the docks. Drop the boat and let's swim." Lila groaned and pushed herself down under the boat. Once she was above the suface, she popped up beside Jack. Rupert was already on the deck, and she felt Jack's hands go on her waist, gently lifting her up into Rupert's arms.

Once she was on the deck, she walked past Rupert, to the direction of the Pearl. Once Jack and Will were on deck, Jack leaned over and whispered, "What's wrong with 'er?"

"Nothing." Will said, hoping his friend notice the lie he had just said. Jack was pretty good at figuring him out, but that might have been just due to the fact that after Elizabeth's death, the two have become very close. "Oh, goodness, Jack." Rupert whirled around when he heard Will say that, and looked as equally as disgusted as Will did. Jack was too as he stared down at the soggy powered wig.

"Makes you feel a bit sick, doesn't it?" Jack said as he twisted it over the ocean, allowing the water to drip out. He shrugged, keeping it tucked under his arm and said, "What are you men waiting for?" Will followed Jack, then Rupert, and the three men walked down the path. "Alright, Will. Tell you're crew to keep the Pearl in close distance."

"Where are we going exactly?" Will asked as he motioned to the Dutchman to wait for orders. Bootstrap nodded from on the top deck, the immortal side of his curse not leaving him after Will became captain, and went to the wheel as the three men climbed up on the Pearl. "Not sure. All I know is that 'tis between the Isla De Muerta and Ship Wreck Cove."

Rupert and Will exchanged glances, before Rupert said, "They're miles apart from each other. We'll be searching for days!"

Jack put a hand on Rupert's shoulder, and said, "My dear, Reginald-" Will laughed at that, but Jack just continued, "-I do know what I'm doing, lad. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow after all. 'Memeber that." He gave his shoulder a pat before walking over to find Will. As the Pearl sailed out into the ocean, with the Dutchman close behind, Jack walked over to where Will was standing by the rail.

"Something seems to be troubling you, Willaim." Was all Jack said as he pulled out the wig and began to fluff it. "Care to tell Ol' Jackie?" Will tore his eyes off of the ocean to look over at Jack who had a determined look on his face as he struggled to get the wig back in its original form, not the tangled mess that it was now.

"You think everything happens for a reason?" Will asked him after a minute, not really sure how Jack would answer. Jack was good to talk to when he was sober enough, other times his sentences came out so utterly confusing (yet, understandable) that you had to think sometimes for hours to understand what he had said.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked Will in what could have been the most sober sounding voice Will had ever heard Jack use. Jack was looking at Will with an unreadable look in his dark eyes, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know. I mean, like-" Will paused for a moment, running the key to his chest in his hands as he said, "-fate, I guess."

"Everythin' has a purpose in life, if that's what you mean." Jack said, turning around so he could lean on the rail and look into the eye of his former "enemy's" face. "I guess growin' up around the people I did, I had no choice in believin' that-" Jack made a distant looking face as he said that, not finishing.

"Who?"

"Mum wasn't a pirate." Jack said, not really looking at Will. "She was very close to Calypso, who wasn't Tia Dalma at the time, mind you." He said to Will when Will made a strange face. "Her name was somethin' like Narcissa or somethin' like that-" Jack made a face as if he was remembering, and then said, "-Calypso was really close to Neptune, being Lila's godmother. So, we grew up together. Calypso would always plant things in our minds like that... I guess after you hear it so much, you have no choice but to believe it."

"Neptune didn't mind?"

"No." Jack said, shaking his head. "I wasn't the pirate, my father was. After my mother found out, she took me and left my father, not wanting anythin' to do with him. We moved to the island where Neptune's palace was..." He took that moment to glance over at Lila who was now talking to Anya and Roxy.

"Do you love her?" Will was surprised that he actually asked that question. He was also surprised at Jack's reaction to that question. Jack laughed as he looked over at Will and said, "Mate, after the girl you love betrays you, it's hard to actually fall in love again." When Will looked over at Lila, Jack shook his head and said, "No. Wasn't the princess. A girl like her, pirate though she is, would never do somethin' like that. Heart's too big. This girl's was too, but-"

"Elizabeth?"

Jack clicked his tongue before showing a gold-tooth smile and said, "Took you long enough to figure it out." Jack turned to walk away from Will, but Will stopped him, "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"William-" Jack said, keeping his back to him, "-when you're in love with your best mate's fiancee, even if said mate is a lyin', "heartless", back-stabbin' pirate-" He turned to face Will as he said, "That's not exactly somethin' you prance about shoutin', now is it?"

After a moment of silence passed between the two captains, Jack said, "Now you know."

"Did she know?" Will asked, following Jack down the stairs to the lower decks. He could hear Jack sigh as he said, "I'm assumin' so." Will looked down at the deck, watching as water slashed on from the waves as he asked, "Is that the reason you made me stab the heart?"

Jack whirled around to face Will with a shocked look on his face, "What are you talkin' about?"

"You led my hand to the heart, Jack." Will said with a slight smile. "I always wondered how-...my father told me before Eliz-" He paused. Bringing up her probably wasn't the best thing right now if he wanted to get this answer. "Was she the reason you stabbed my heart? For her to be happy even if-"

Jack laughed as he put a hand on the mast. Staring at it for a minute, he turned back to the younger boy and asked, "Will, I'd be lyin' to ye if it didn't cross me mind to stab the heart meself." Will wasn't entirely shocked by Jack's answer. He only pulled back his dark ringlets with his bandana and waited for Jack to continue.

"But you didn't leave me that choice." Jack said, raising his chocolate eyes up to meet Will's hazel ones. "Who was the man that risked his life for me even when I betrayed him? Wasn't Lizzie. Not entirely and it wouldn't have been had you not made her do it." Will, for some reason couldn't look Jack in the eye anymore, but settled for the mast he was leaning against. "And besides, she wasn't a man..." Will smiled at that. "No. I didn't do if for the girl the betrayed me, and you in a way if ye think 'bout it. I did it for you." And with that, Jack walked past Will and back to the stairs. Will smiled to himself as he heard those boots' steps get more distant as he asked, not looking at Jack, "Your moment to do the right thing?"

He could hear Jack chuckle as he turned around to face him. Leaning against the railing, so he could look down into the eyes of his former first mate, Jack said, "Aye, one of them, I 'spose." He shrugged as he looked out at the sea, then back down to Will as he said, "But you know, I love those moments."

"Oh, really, Captain Sparrow?"

Jack smirked as he said, "Aye, _Captain Turner_." He pushed himself off of the railing, and waved as if another ship was sailing beside him, "I like to wave at them as they pass by..."

Will smiled as he turned around. Surprisingly, Lila was standing behind him. "I'm sorry, Will. About-"

"No, Li." He said, smiling at the sound of her old nickname. "Don't worry about it, love." She smiled up at him, and did something that completely surprised both of them. She wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head in his chest. He smiled against the top of her head as she said, "You don't know how much I've missed you."

Will looked up momentarily to see Jack smiling down at them. Maybe he wasn't like everyone had said he was. He was a pirate. But possibly...just maybe...he was a good man.

Lila pulled back so she could look up at him as he said, "I've missed you too."

A few minutes later, Jack bounced back down the stairs. Lila looked up and said, "What are you so happy about, Sparrow?"

He smirked over at Will as he said to Lila, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Nothing at all, darlin'. Do I have to have a reason to smile upon seein' my favorite girl?" Shooting a smile over at Will, he said to both of them, "You are in some serious need of rum, mates." He reached behind them and pulled out two bottles from heaven knows where, and tossed them over to them. Lila caught hers, while Will narrowly missed dropping his.

Leaning somewhat into Jack, Lila said after taking a sip of her rum, "You think we'll win this war?"

"We've narrowly escaped certain death many a times, darlin'." Jack said, lowering his bottle from his lips. Will smiled at that, bringing his bottle to meet his own lips as he leaned against the mast, twirling the key around his fingers unaware that Lila was watching him do that the whole time. "Why should now be any different?"

Jack smiled down at Lila who leaned her head on his shoulder. Will smiled over at Jack as he said, "You're sure about that, Sparrow?"

"Never been more certain of anythin' if my life, mate." He winked at him, before raising his bottle to his lips once more.

Yes, they have cheated death more times than anyone should. Will was immortal, Jack was forever young by the fountain of youth... Lila herself was immortal as long as she wasn't wounded fatally or deathly sick from some disease. They all tested fate.  
Who's to say they should cheat death again?

But who's to say they shouldn't?

**_Review?_**


	9. Li

**Hey! I'm updatin' again cuz I'm going to be reading  
HARRY POTTER this weekend! So, I don't know when I'll be back on  
since I don't want to get any spoilers or anything.  
I love you guys so much!  
Thanks for reading so far!  
****-Captain Autumn**

**My piratas:  
**CaptainElizabethTurner: Anya Starvansky  
sweetgirl8353: Lena Walker  
ClumsyElf : Jilly Stone  
teepirategirl: Roxana Williams  
brisingr3: Gwen Matthews

**(you aren't really going to say anything in this chappie, because of the way I wrote it. But you'll pop back up soon!)**

**ENJOY!**

Neptune slammed his fist on his desk as is navy scrambled about. Now, not only was he doubting Andrew, not only was his daughter kidnapped by a fugitive, his best man was gone. Having no idea where he was, but having a hint, he was furious. And on top of all that, their one and only lead, Gwen, was gone.

"Sir-"

"Andrew, just shut the hell up, alright?" Neptune got out of his throne and walked in front of the shocked young admiral as he said, "You have led us from bad to worse. And I'm starting to question your intentions even more. As of now, I'm asking you to stand down." Andrew looked into Neptune's ocean blue eyes to see that he wasn't joking. He clearly wasn't.

"Sir, I don't know what you're-"

"Leave." Neptune said. "I don't care if you stay on this ship, but just get out of my sight for the moment. And consider your engagement to my daughter broken." The King pushed his way past the Admiral and out the door. Andrew narrowed his eyes as he walked over to where the maps were. Opening the drawer, he smirked when he pulled the map out showing the way to London.

"Idiots." He whispered to himself as the door opened. A young navy men walked in and raised his gun at Andrew. Unphased, Andrew reached into his jacket and said to the man, "What are you going to do? Kill me?" When the man stared at him for a moment, Andrew pulled out his own gun and shot the man. When the man fell to the ground, Andrew put the map in his jacket and said to the body, "Ta."

Locking the door behind him, he walked up the stairs to King Neptune. "Sir, I know you wish nothing more than to never see me again-" He started as Neptune turned away from him. "-and I realize now that you're right. It would be best for me to leave." Neptune turned to look at the man who was nodding as he said, "Please. I just ask you one thing, and I'll leave you in peace."

"And what would that be, Andrew?" Neptune asked him, reading his face for any sign of lies. He saw none, so therefore he believed him.

"Just take me to Port Malson. It's just off the coast. Not out of your way..." Inside, Beckett was smiling. His plan was falling in to place.

"Darlin'-" She smiled as she embraced the young princess. Lila smiled as well as she wrapped her arms around her godmother, back in her human form. Lila pulled back as Calypso (now Tia Dalma) smiled at her and said, "Look at ya." She kissed her forhead, and when she pulled back from her, she stared at Jack who was getting out of a row boat. He shoved his wig at Will who reluctantly took it and waited for Jack to untangle himself from the ropes, nearly falling and taking down Will and Rupert with him.

"Tia Dalma-" Jack said, politely as he came and gave her a kiss on the cheek, causing Lila's eyebrows to go up. Way up. "Erm- Calypso."

"Ye name for me will do, Jack Sparrow." Tia said, flashing him a grin before saying, "What be bringin' ye to me hut? Haven't se ya since-" She trailed off upon seeing Will walking towards the front porch of her hut holding what appeared, to her, to be a dead animal of some sort. "Jack, would you take your bloody wig?" Will said angrily as he shoved the wig to Jack. Jack began fluffing it, causing Will, Rupert and Tia to give him weird looks. Lila was only shaking her head, "Caly, we need your help."

"I be knowin' that before, darlin'. Goddess knows all." She motioned for them to come inside the hut, unaware that Jack's "fan club" was trailing behind him, having followed them down to the swap ignoring Jack's orders to stay behind, lest they be killed. Not that he meant that. Jack's all talk, some times. Especially when it comes to his admirers.

"Girls, I told ye to stay back at the Pearl." Jack said in an exasperated voice as the five girls followed Rupert in to the small hut. Lena beamed up at him as the other three took their seats and said, "When have we ever listened to you?"

"Good point." Jack said with a slight groan as he went to close the door. When he saw Roxy standing behind the door he was about to close, he said, "You comin' in or not? I don't care what ye choos-" He gasped when the door collided with his stomach after Roxy had swung it so hard, it knocked all the air out of him. Ignoring Will and Lila who were now laughing, he came to sit on the other side of Anya since he saw that Lila was sitting beside Will.

He also noticed that Rupert kept glaring at him funny...

"The tides, they be changin'-" Tia begun as she sat down in front of the table nine people that were crowded around it. "-and soon enough they be blowin' you in ways ye never thought ye could go in..." Jack and Will glanced over at Lila who had started laughing at that one. When she saw everyone else was looking at her, she blushed and said, "Sorry."

Will turned back to Jack, trying to keep a straight face, but failing despite the look Jack now had on his face and since Lila was shaking beside him. Tia wasn't noticing this, or simply not caring, since she continued, "-they'll be testin' you're strengths, findin' your weakness-"

"Tides." Lila said, laughing. Will gave in and started laughing quietly, once again causing everyone to turn and stare at them. Jack rolled his chocolate eyes and hit the table, causing Lila to jump so much that Will and Rupert had to grab her to stop her from falling off her stool. Tia glanced at the two sitting before her and said to them, "-love binds all-"

Lila started coughing violently at that one. So much, in fact, Jack and everyone else in the room was staring at her, surprised that she wasn't purple. Will was looking at her, unsure if he should be amused or alarmed. Once she stopped, she smiled as her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink and said, "You care to repeat that? I must have had water in my ears-"

"Or a cuttlefish." Jack replied, leaning on the back two legs of his chair. Lila began laughing at that, probably just because she was nervous as to what Tia was about to say. Or, because the look on Jack's handsome face was priceless. "Cuttefish are nasty little buggers."

Tia sighed as she tore her eyes off of Jack, almost reluctantly. She turned back to Will and asked, "William Turner. What do ya fear da most in dis world?" She strolled over to him, staring him the eye as Lila tried to hide her smile since Jack was making impressions of Tia behind her back. Lila dropped her gaze from Jack's so she was staring at the floor.

Will on the other hand was staring into the eyes of this woman. He was seriously not liking the way that this bloody witch was looking at him. Whether it be the gleam in her eyes, or the smirk on her face... "Losin' your heart? Or fallin' in love again?"

"I don't understand what you mean. I-" He glanced over at Lila."Tia, I-"

"I do love Cuttlefish." Rupert, who had been drinking water, spit it out when Jack said that causing Lila to burst into laughter once more. Jack was sitting in his chair, smirking, as if he was very pleased by this reaction. "I met one, erm..saw one. Cut 'im in half, I did." Jack raised his sword and pretended to cut a cuttlefish. "Bottom 'alf grew back."

"Did not." Rupert said, casting Jack a look.

"Did too. I swear on pain of death it did." Tia rolled her eyes as Jack said that, more or less upset by the fact that her warning was ruined. "Did not." Rupert said, wiping the water from his face.

" 'Ave you ever see one?" When Rupert shook his head, Jack said, "Fine then! You wouldn't know."

"SILENCE!" Jack made an 'eep' noise when Tia's scream echoed thru the room. Someone coughed (probably Jilly) and Tia looked around at them, "All of ye-" She turned back to Will who was looking as if he would rather be anywhere than there. "-what do ya fear?"

Will glanced over at Lila, and then turned back to Tia not answering. She leaned down and whispered, "Only love will see ya thru dis." She pushed herself away from the table and walked back to the others. "What is it dat you be needin', Jack?"

"This island." Jack said, coming back on all fours. Legs of the chairs, I mean. He gave his wig, that was sitting in front of him, a pat and said to Tia, "Can't find it. I've got the map, but-" Jack had held out the map to her, and she grabbed it rather roughly. She stared down at it and said, "Jack, dis isn't what you be needin'." She reached inside a treasure chest that was by the back door. She picked it up as if it was weightless, and dropped it down in front of Jack.

Jack jumped, but tried his best to cover it up. She pulled out a giant diamond and said, "You be needin' dis as well."

"I thought you said we didn't need the map." Jack said, quietly. Tia rolled her black eyes and said, "Well, now ya do. And dis."

"We need this and the map?" Jack asked her, ingnoring Lila's groan. When Tia nodded, he took the diamond almost reluctantly and stared at it as if it was going to start dancing or something. "Diamond turns red: Pirates will dread. Diamond turns green: destination be reached-" Tia began, sitting on the chair in front of Jack, "Diamond turns pink: The ship will sink-"

"Bugger." Jack said, closing his eyes, and opening them rather reluctantly as if he was scared to see it glowing pink. Tia laughed softly before saying, "Diamond turns black: Don't turn back. Diamond turns-" Rupert made a face as he stared at her, not really believing that she was actually still talking. Tia glanced over at Will as she said, "Diamond turns white: True love takes flight."

"Well, I think we've got what we need, Jack. What say you?" Will said, hoping that Jack was getting the message. Jack was only smirking at his friend as he said, "Why so soon, mate? I find this rather amusing."

"Keep talking like that, and I shove a cuttlefish down your throat, _mate_." Jack's, and Lila's...everyone for that matter, jaws dropped at how un-Will like that came out. Will was glaring at Jack as Jack said, "I'm not through, Will."

"Arlight then." He got up and smiled at Tia as he said, "Nice to see you again." He glared at Jack before walking towards the door.  
"Ah, Willy. Be a dear and take this back with you..." Jack tossed Will the diamond, and Will turned on his heels and began walking to the boats. "Wait-" He turned around to see Lila running after him. She shrugged as she pushed a curl out of her face and said, "I'll go with you." Will was startled by this, but managed to nod anyway.

_She didn't have to do that,_ Will thought to himself as he just continued to stare at her. _Bloody hell, Turner. You'll scare the poor girl the way your staring at her... Do something!_

Turns out, he didn't have to.

Yet.

She smiled as she walked up to him to get into the boat. When she did so, she looked up at him momentarily to look him in the eye. It was then how close she realized their lips were. She was frozen, but it seemed that Will certainly wasn't.Shoving the diamond (he was sure enough what color it was) into his jacket, he leaned closer to her and whispered, "Li..."

**_Review?  
(If I'm not too stuck in that book, I'll try and update tomorrow! But expect one Sunday!! I love you guys!)_**


	10. It's Just Good Business

**Kisses and hugs and maybe some rum!  
-Captain Autumn**

**My piratas:  
**CaptainElizabethTurner: Anya Starvansky  
sweetgirl8353: Lena Walker  
ClumsyElf : Jilly Stone  
teepirategirl: Roxana Williams  
brisingr3: Gwen Matthews

**Due to my prior engagements with a Mr. Potter, I regret to inform you  
that until they are completeled, I shall not be on this site.  
**In other words, Harry Potter 7's gonna occupy my time!  
Happy reading!

**ENJOY!**

She turned her head away making his lips brush against her cheek. He sighed and just rested his head there for a moment, not really wanting to look into her eyes. Pulling back reluctantly, he could see that she wasn't even looking at him. She was looking at Jack who had just emerged from the hut. Clearing his throat, he said as he came down the stairs, "Are we ready?"

"We were waiting on you." Lila whispered, now not looking at either of them. Jack nodded as he, Rupert and Jack's "club" emerged from the hut. Jack looked at Will for a moment, before saying, "You have the diamond?"

"Yes." Will nodded to his jacket. "I put it-" Jack walked past him and went ahead into the boat. _Not again, _Will thought to himself as Lila watched Will get into the boat. She sighed, looking at the boat behind them, and said, "I think I'll just ride with the girls."

"Thanks, Lila." Rupert said, grumpily as he got into the boat filled with girls. Lila groaned when she saw that there was no more room at all in that boat. Sighing once more, she got in with the two boys and prepared for an awkward ride back to the ships. After a minute, Jack glanced over at Lila and asked in a quiet voice so Will wouldn't hear, "What's the matter, love?"

"Nothing." Lila said with a sigh as she watched the fish swim out of the boat's way. She glanced back at the boat behind them to see that Rupert was now not having a problem sitting back there with all those girls. If only Lila could say the same about sitting with Jack and Will. "Why do I get the feelin' that you're lyin' to me, darlin'?" Jack asked her as Tia's crabs led their boats along the swap's murky waters.

"Because I'm a bad liar." Lila said, not aware that Will had heard her. He looked up at her when she said that, but she didn't return it. Jack looked down at Will, and saw that he hadn't seen that face since, well...

Since Elizabeth.

Turning back to the horizon, Jack whispered, "You're not a bad liar. I just knew you too well." She looked up at Jack when he said "knew" as opposed to saying "know". She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she looked down into the water.

_"Morning, Lila." Elizabeth said happily as she walked over to the princess. Lila was only 15, and was plenty mad that she was forced to come live with her aunt in Port Royal until her father returned from London. She didn't ask why she couldn't go, she only knew that a war was coming on. "What's wrong?"_

_Lila pulled at her corset and said, "Nothing, Liz. I'm just-" She had been following Elizabeth down the roads of Port Royal, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Will walk out of the blacksmith shop. Being three years younger than he was, she knew he would never see anything in her. Elizabeth, being 18 like Will, followed Lila's gaze to see what she was looking at. Sighing, she turned her own gaze on James Norrington who smiled at the girls as he passed them. Of course, Elizabeth was the only one that saw this. _

_Lila's ship was still set in Port Will._

_"Lila, honestly. Stop staring, It's hardly lady-like." Elizabeth said, in a disgusted tone as she nudged the princess. Apparently not caring, that Lila could have her head cut off for that. Will caught Lila's gaze and smiled at her, causing her to blush and hurry after Elizabeth._

_"Did you hear me, Princess?" Lila was brought out of her thoughts a few weeks later at a ball her aunt was having. Ignoring the pains in her chest every time she breathed, and turned to face the young blacksmith. Her heart skipped a beat, and she only smiled. He smiled too, they were both shy, and continued walking down the beach._

_Lila glanced back at her aunt's mansion to see people still dancing inside, leaving and arriving. No one had noticed that they were gone. She felt Will's hand take hers as he whispered, "I said that you're not like other girls."_

_"What?" She asked, laughing. "The whole princess thing aside?"_

_Will smiled as they came to a complete stop. He took her other hand, and looked down at them, before raising his eyes back up to her and saying, "Yes. The whole princess thing aside, Li. " She smiled and asked, "Is that a good thing?"_

_Will stopped smiling, and just stared at her for a minute before saying, "Yes. That's a very good thing, Li." She looked down for a moment, trying to stop her hands from shaking, making Will hold them tighter as he leaned down and whispered softly in her ear, "Tell me, Princess. Would I be being too forward if I said that I think I'm falling in love with you?"_

_When he pulled back, she smiled up at him and said, "Just a little." And she leaned up and closed the gap remaining between their lips._

"Lila? Darlin', did you hear me?" Lila shook her head and looked up at Jack and Will who were standing outside the boat. Jack looked down at her worried, and asked, "Are you alright, love-" She pushed past him and Will and managed to croak out, "I'm fine."

Jack glanced at Will as he asked, "I'm guessin' that you wouldn't have anythin' to do with this?" When Will looked up at him, Jack nodded as he placed a hand on Will's shoulder and said, "No. 'Course not."

Not so far away, on Port Malson, Andrew Beckett's row boat had made it on shore. He flipped a shilling to the man watching the docks, and walked along the wooden boards of the dock. The dark storm clouds had parted as he made his way in to the inn on the corner of the street.

"Yes, did someone with the last name of Beckett check in here today?" Andrew asked the old man behind the front desk. The old man sighed as he flipped thru the papers on the desk and said, "Yes, sir. Room 324."

Andrew smiled, now not wearing his powdered wig showing that he had golden brown hair underneath. He gave a nod to the man and began up the stairs. "You're not going to win." Andrew froze on the stairs. He had heard that voice before, but he wasn't sure where. Andrew turned to see that there was a man sitting on the chair in front of the fire place. Placing that he was probably a pirate, judging from his attire, Andrew said, "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, I think you do." The man replied as he puffed away on the cigar, sending rings of smoke into the air. Andrew stared at that man for a minute longer, taking him in. He couldn't see his face, since it was rather dark in the inn's lobby, but he could see that his hair was rather long and that he wore a big hat. He also assumed he wore some sort of necklace or jewlery because everytime he moved his head, he jingled.

"Good luck, all the same." Was the man's reply as he laughed, sending a thick smell of rum into the air. "You'll need it." Andrew rolled his eyes and turned to walk up the stairs. He could have sworn that he heard someone called out, "Captain Teague." But he was probably just hearing things. Walking up to the third floor, he looked at the numbers going down the hall until he came to 324.

He smiled to himself as he knocked on the door and said, "It's me. Andrew. Let me in." The door opened a minute later to reveal his father, David Beckett standing in the door. "So?"

Andrew rolled his eyes as he walked in and said, "Neptune broke off my engagement." David looked murderous when he said that, but Andrew said, "But I got the map. It'll lead us to London. That _idiot_ Rupert left with the wench. Everything's falling in to place." David smiled at his son and said, "Good. The meeting is held for this week in London. We should then have power to regain our control over this damned earth."

"As we will, Father." He glanced to see the man sitting in the corner of the room. He was staring outside the window as he said, "Don't even think about killing Sparrow. Bring him to me. I want to do that myself." Andrew looked up at his father and asked, "Is that?"

When David nodded, Andrew said, "How?"

"Damned Sparrow's more idiotic than I thought." The man in the corner of the room said. "I was just waiting for him to release my skull from that chest." He gave a slight laugh. "One of the things that that witch gave me before I died. Promised her freedom if she did. I heard she's free now. I didn't give it to her. Even if I hadn't been killed by Sparrow and Turner, I wouldn't have done it."

Andrew was staring to get at this now. The man cleared his throat and said, "Did Sparrow find the_ Aqua de Vista_?"

David nudged Andrew who managed to choke out, "Yes. He did." The man laughed, before turning around and saying, "Fool." Andrew couldn't believe what he was seeing. David was smiling now as the man got up and said, "I want to look into his face as I kill him."

He walked over to the the window, looking out at the ocean, and laughing as he said, "Kill him and Turner. The men who bloody killed me. And as they're dying, I'll remind them-" He turned around and flashed an eerie smile as he said, "-it's just good business."

**_Famous last words, huh?  
Review?_**


	11. Do You Really Love Someone That Much?

**My engagements with Mr. Potter have been completed. And what engagements they were...  
That truly was an amazing book.**

**Moving right along, here's my promised update!  
I love you guys!  
And if you've read Deathy Hallows already, go check out my new Harry Potter fic called** Love is Blind**!  
Contains major spoilers, so ye be warned.**

**This isn't a plot developer or anything.  
Just a little bit about Will and Lila's past.  
I'm gonna pop one of these in every now and again...just cuz...  
ENJOY!**

**-hugs-  
-Captain Autumn**

**

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**

**_"...we always say 'I would kill for my family' or 'I would die for my family' but would you really?  
I mean, when really put in that situation, would you really give up your life?  
Do you really love something or someone that much?"_**

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**-Port Royal-  
-1721-**

"Lila, dear? Are you up yet?" She heard a rapping at her door, causing her to jump up. After she realized that it was her aunt, she sighed and said, "I am now." There was a pause, and then her aunt said, "Well, darling. Do hurry up. We're late for tea at Mr. Smith's."

Tea. She was too thrilled to even begin to show it. She rolled her green eyes and got out of bed. Soon after, the maids came in to help her with her new gown. Hellish as it was trying to put that damn corset on, even Lila had to agree that it did look rather good on her.

After the long carriage ride to the town, they finally made it to Mr. Smith's. Lila didn't really like that man, and it wasn't even his fault. He was just possibly the most boring man in the world. Or at least in Port Royal. When they arrived, James Norrington was also comign in. He smiled when he saw Lila, and took her hand. Politely kissing it, he said, "Good day, Your Majesty."

She smiled as he raised his handsome face to look at her. She beamed and said, "Good day, James. How are you?" She allowed herself to link arms with him as he, being the gentleman that he was, led her to the tea room. "I'm wonderful, Princess. And yourself?"

"Wonderful as well." Lila said, smiling as they reached the tea room. They must have been walking slow, because her aunt was already seated between Governor Swann and Mr. Smith. Elizabeth glanced up as they walked in and nodded to the seat beside her. After saying hello to them, she quickly (yet gracefully) took the seat beside Elizabeth and prepared for what she knew was going to be a long and boring tea. Half way thru, Lila looked up to see Norrington asleep over his tea. His head was slightly tilted backwords. Elizabeth was doing something under the table, Aunt Parrish and Governor Swann were trying to look interested at what Mr. Smith was rambling on about.

A minute later, Lila felt something on her lap. She glanced up at Elizabeth who wasn't even looking at her. She was looking at Mr. Smith, but Lila could tell she was smiling. She glanced down at her lap to see a napkin crumbled up. Un-crumbling it, Lila read it:

**Are you mad at me?**

Lila glanced up at Elizabeth who was nodding under the table. Sure enough, she was holding a pen and ink. Rolling her eyes, she took the pen and ink from Elizabeth and wrote under it:

_Of course not. What made you think that?_

**I don't know. You just seemed different is all. Is everything all right?**

"Girls." Governor Swann said sternly, causing both Elizabeth and Lila to jump. When they did that, one of them hit the table rather loudly, causing James to wake up and scream, "OPEN FIRE!"

And the room went dead silent.

"Oh." He said, coughing as he adjusted his collar. "Sorry. Carry on." He glared at Elizabeth and Lila, who were laughing, when he turned to see them. Lila waited until Swann turned back to Mr. Smith's ramblings before writing back:

_I'm leaving next summer._

**To go where?**

_I don't know. My father sent me the message this morning. But we have another year. He may change his mind by then._

**Have you told Will yet?**

"Girls." Swann said, looking back at them. This time Lila's aunt turned to. Both of them smiled and turned back to their tea. Being 15 and 18, they expected them to already be adults. Far from it. Especially when they were together. Once the two of them turned back to the old man, and James fell back into his deep sleep, Lila looked over at Elizabeth and shook her head. Elizabeth made a face before whispering, "You need to."

"You're just going to sit there?" Will asked with a smirk as he glanced over at Lila. She tore her eyes off of the fire and turned to look at him. Somehow, she thought he looked much better like this. His hair pulled back...when he was working. She smiled at him as he walked over and hung the sword on the wall. The two of them had been courting for nearly three months, but she still blushed everytime she saw him.

He took of the little apron-looking thing he wore when he was working, and walked over to her. She'd been sitting on a bench by the fire, and somehow, that fire was mesmorizing her once more. Up until she felt Will's lips on her cheek and his hand around her waist. She smiled as he moved his kiss to her neck and whispered, "Something's wrong, love. What is it?"

"Nothing." Lila whispered back, laying her head on his chest. His arms automatically went to her waist as he smiled against her hair and whispered, "You're lying."

"I am not." She said, pulling back to look into his goreous hazel eyes. He smiled as he pushed a curl out of her face and said, "Li, you're not a good liar." He put his hand on her cheek, and gently pulled her forward to him. Her hands went behind his neck as his lips met hers. When she pulled back, she whispered, "You just know me too well, is all."

He smiled before kissing her again, and said, "So, there is something wrong." She rolled her eyes and groaned, causing him to say, "Elizabeth told me you were acting strange today-" She popped her head back up so she could look at him as she said, "You and Elizabeth have been talking a lot lately-"

"-what are you trying to say?" Will asked her as she got up and walked over to the window. She was silent for a minute, causing Will to get up and follow her over to the window. "What are you trying to say?" He repeated, grabbing her wrist. She still didn't say anything. She'd seen Will look at Elizabeth, and she wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Nothing-"

"Li."

"Nothing, alright?" When he saw the tears in her eyes, his features immediatley softened. He put a hand on her shoulder, as if he wasn't sure if she would push him away or not. When she didn't, he completely pulled her to him and let her cry in his chest.

"Li-" He whispered as he stroked her hair. "Is it something I've done-" When she shook her head, he rested his own on hers and asked, "Are you sure?" She nodded. "Well, darling. How am I suppossed to know how to react if you won't tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm leaving next summer." She whispered, closing her eyes, letting tears roll down her cheeks. Will was silent for a minute, but didn't say anything. They knew that it had been coming, they just didn't know when. "And you can't come with me! You know that my father would never...oh goodness..." Now she was sobbing.

"Shh, darling." Will said, tightening his grasp around her."Shh..." He kissed the top of her head and said, "We still have a year."

"But what happens after that year, Will?" She asked, raising her head up to look at him. He had never seen her like this. She was always the kind of girl that held in her emotions. Come to think of it, he really never saw her cry. "What? My father's going to make me go to Lord knows where. And I don't want to leave you-"

"Darling, I know you don't." Will said, pulling her back down on the bench. "Because if you did, I honestly don't think you would have been crying this much-"

"Will, honestly! It's not funny." She said, crying again. The smile on Will's face faded as he pulled her back into his strong arms again. He sighed and said, "Li, I don't want you to leave either. And I don't know what's going to happen after this year, I can't tell you that and I wish I could. But-" He trailed off for a minute, before saying, "-do you really love me?"

"No, Will." She said, pulling herself off of him. "That's only why I've been bloody crying my eyes out for the last aaaa.." She started crying again. He pulled her back to him, scared of what she would do if he didn't. "Lila, if you wanted to...I know you're very young, but if you wanted to, we could-" He trailed off and jjust stared at her for a moment. "Will, are you serious?" She asked him, not crying anymore as she was trying so hard not to. "Would you-"

"Yes." He said, smiling as he rested his forhead on hers. "Li, if you really want to we will. I'd do anything for you." He felt her take both of his hands in hers as he leaned over and kissed her, before saying, "Princess, will you marry me?" She smiled up at him, before closing the gap between their lips and saying, "You know I will, Will."

She kissed him again, and she could feel him smile against her lips as he brought her closer to him. "I love you." He whispered. Even though they had been courting for months, that really was the first time that she had heard him say it. She pulled back just slightly and said, "I love you too, Turner."

After a minute, he found her back in his arms once more. This time, they were silent. Just thinking. After another minute, she asked him with a smile, "You'd really do anything for me?" She asked him that as she played with the collar of his shirt. He smiled as he reached up and grabbed her hand as he said, "I'd die for you."

* * *

**_"...Do you really love something or someone that much?"_**

_

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_

Review?


	12. Love Answers All Questions

**_

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**_"...There are only four questions of value in life.  
What is sacred?  
Of what is the spirit made of?  
What is worth living for?  
What is worth dying for?  
The answer to each is the same. Only love..."  
_**

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**The Black Pearl-  
-Present Day, 1820-**

Love is a complicated thing. The more he looked at her, the more he talked to her...he felt like he was pushing her away. Why was this happening? He knew that he brought it upon himself. He was in love with her. But when she left...Elizabeth...that's what messed their relationship up. But when she left him and didn't come back, he felt used. Like Lila expected him to wait for her.

But did Lila really expect that? Or did she have another reason?

They were never married. He knew why. She left earlier than she was suppossed to, and somehow he always knew that it was because of Elizabeth. She thought that he was in love with her while he was with her. He wasn't. Of course he did love Elizabeth, but at that time, his eyes were only on Lila. He would have never done that to her. And it broke his heart knowing that she thought that. But she herself said everything happened for a reason. Had he not been with Elizabeth, he would have never got to see his son somewhat grow up. He would have never been immortal and never would have been able to meet Lila again.

But right now, he didn't know how good that was. She wasn't talking to him anymore. And it was killing him.

"If you're going to get sick, please don't do it on me ship and go to the railing and vomit over the rail as opposed to on it." Jack smiled as he came to stand beside Will. "Mate, you look bloody awful."

"Thanks, Jack." Will said, half-smiling as Jack shoved a rum bottle in his hands. He took it, taking a sip of it, before putting it back down. She didn't love him anymore. He was certain of that. He'd seen the way Rupert had looked at her. Jack even. She couldn't get anyone she wanted. Why would she come back to someone who broke her heart?

"Aye, someone's deep in thought." Jack said, bringing a rum bottle to meet his own lips. "Want to talk about it?" Will turned to look at Jack and was somewhat surprised. Jack had been wanting to talk a lot more than he usually did. Not wanting to question his friend's motives, he turned from Jack and said, "Just thinking."

A chuckle escaped Jack's lips as he said, "Yes. I did gather that much, William." Will sent a smile over at Jack before Jack said, "What seems to be the problem? You are not a woman, but my intuitive sense is tellin' me that you are indeed troubled." Will looked over at Jack. It seemed that Jack had just set himself up for a eunuch joke, but Jack didn't. "What's wrong, Will?"

Will noted that when Jack said that, there wasn't a hint of humor or anything in it. It was sober. So serious, in fact, Will barely recognized it as Jack's. Jack sighed and asked Will, "You ever loved someone so much that you would do anythin' for them?" That question, coming from Jack ,really surprised Will. Making no sign whatsoever that Will was in shock, he said, "Yes."

Jack smiled to himself as he brought the rum bottle back to his lips and said, "Yes. I thought you would say that." Jack and Will were silent for a moment before Will managed to say, "We wouldn't be talking about-" He was cut off by Jack turning around and facing him. Smiling, Jack said, "_We_ weren't talkin' about anyone. And if her last name sounds like a bird, than no. We aren't."

Will watched in shock as Jack walked over to Lila. Had he just confessed that he- No. No no no. Jack said that he didn't love Lila.  
_No, Turner. He said that it was hard to love again when the girl you loved betrayed you._

Lila caught Will's eye, and quickly turned away. Was Will doubting Jack again? I mean, he had been known to do things like this in the past. Kissing Elizabeth for instance, while that wasn't entirely his fault, he could have stopped it. And selling his soul to the devil was probably the prime example of Jack Sparrow. What if he was playing mind games with Will? Telling him things to make him think that he wasn't in love with her while he actually was. Because something inside Will told him that Lila would choose Jack over him.

What was he saying? Was he actually admitting it?

"I still love her." He whispered to himself. He found himself playing with the key that he was wearing around his neck. He wanted to give it to her, and tell her that even if she didn't still love him, to keep it. His heart belonged to her before it did to Elizabeth.

Was he lying to Elizabeth when he said that his heart would always belong to her? No. Part of it would. But the whole thing belonged to the girl standing just a few feet away from him. He loved Elizabeth. He always would. But she was dead. And it was time he excepted that fact and moved on from him. Lila was alive...

Lila didn't love him anymore.

"Don't be so sure of that, Will." He heard a voice from behind him and whirled around. When he saw her standing behind him, he asked her, "Beg your pardon?" Her green eyes were unreadable as she said to him, "I said, 'We're about to make port'. "

Elizabeth had been faithful. After serving 20 years on the Dutchman, Tia lifted the curse. Will could walk on land, but he was still bound to the Dutchman. He was still immortal and his heart would forever be locked in that chest. He lived a sort of half life, but that's the price you pay for living. Jack was already on a longboat when the two of them ended up on one. Jack winked at Will as if he had this planned.

Now Will was confused. What was Jack doing? One minute it seems he's trying to steal Lila away from him, and the next minute it seems that he's trying to get them back together. Hopping in to the last longboat, and being pushed to shore by Calypso's crabs, the two of them prepared for a long boat ride. Which in truth, Jack told them it would be.

Will's eyes fell on the two boats in front of them. Filled with the girls, Jack and Rupert...their big boat was empty, and when he glanced back, he saw that Lila was sitting on the other end. Sighing he said, not looking at her, "How long are you going to ignore me?"

"I'm not ignoring you." She said, quietly. Even though he was now looking at her, she wasn't looking at him.

"Well, you're certainly not talking to me." Will said, surprised at how angry his tone sounded. Lila apparently was too, since she finally looked up at him. "What do you want me to say, Will?"

"Why haven't you talked to me in the last few days. You won't look at me, and you won't come-"

"-you're avoiding me too!" She cried. "I thought you were mad at me."

"Why the _hell_ would I be mad at you, Lila?" Will's voice came out harsh and rough. Lila just stared up at him, almost with a look of fear in her eyes. He couldn't bear to look at her as I said, "What? Did you expect me to wait for you until you came back?" Lila's face changed from fear to anger as she spat, "Excuse me? You're the bloody reason I left, Will." When Will stared up at her in shock, he noticed tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she said in a surprisingly calm voice, "I thought you loved Elizabeth. I thought I was in your way." So he had been right. He was the reason she left.

"I wasn't." Will said, softening his tone. "I only was with her because I thought you weren't coming back." Will watched as the crabs continued to move them down the ocean. "I loved her, Lila." He couldn't mistake the look of hurt in her eyes when he said that. He was telling her the truth, "But I didn't while I was with you."

"How can I believe you?" Will looked up at her when she asked him that.. He reached behind his neck and unhooked his key as he said, "Part of it will always belong to her. I want you to know that." He moved closer to her and whispered, "But she's gone. And I have to realize that. You're-" For the first real time, Lila looked up into Will's eyes as he said, "-you're here. And it belongs to you."

Will handed her the key. She tore her eyes from Will, and stared down at the key to his heart. When she looked back up, she saw the same look in his eyes that he had at Tia's hut. Was she going to back away this time?

"Please don't." Will whispered as he leaned closer to her, as if he had read her mind. Her heart was pounding against her chest when he leaned even closer and rested his hand on her knee for support as he leaned over to kiss her. He stopped before his lips touched hers and said, "Don't leave me again, Li."

"Never again." She said, finding the voice to speak. "Never." He rested his forhead on hers, almost disappointing her that he hadn't kissed her. So she said, "I was coming back. But I heard you were engaged to her. I just-" She looked into his gorgeous hazel eyes as she said, "-I just couldn't bear it, Will. And you can't say you regret it-"

"And I won't say I regretted being with Elizabeth, Princess." He whispered hotly against her so that she closed her eyes. "Anymore than you can say you regretted being with Jack-" He saw Lila tighten her eyes as he said, "-does it matter now?" When she didn't answer, he took the hand that wasn't on her knee, and stroked her arm as he whispered, "Does it matter?"

"I don't know." She said, finally. "I don't know. I want to say no, but..."

"Lila, it doesn't matter." He said, pulling her closer to him. "It doesn't. " When she lowered her gaze, he whispered in her ear, "Princess, you're the only thing that matters to me now." For a moment, their gazes just locked. It seemed like forever to them. It was in Will's stubborn nature to lean in for a kiss, then turn away. It was such an annoying habit. So, if he wasn't to kiss her.

She leaned over to him and briefly captured his lips with hers. When she pulled back, she whispered to him, "It doesn't matter." Will smiled at her as he hooked the key around her neck and said, "Only you." She smiled back up at him, and was about to kiss him again when something hard collided with the water beside them, nearly tipping the boat.

"LILA!" Will screamed when the boat tipped, and she went under. Jack tore his eyes away from the conversation he was having to look at the boat behind him. He didn't see Lila, and Will was taking off his jacket. Put two and two together. Jack pushed his way from the girls and took of his own jacket and his "effects" before jumping in after Will.

The two boys popped up a minute later. Will pushed his wet curls out of his face to see Jack beside him, "Jack, you don' think she-" Jack's face fell as he dove back under the water with Will following behind him. They could feel bullets flying past them as they swam.

"DAMMIT!" Will cried when they popped back up again after no luck. "Where the hell is she-"

"Will, mate. I think I found her." Jack said in a awe struck voice. Not the good kind of awe. The kind of awe that makes you think that someone's been raised from the dead. And though I meant that as a figure of speech, it was actually quite true. Because standing on that deck holding a gun to an unconsious Lila was Andrew Beckett. And beside him?

Lord Cutler Beckett.

"I thought you had his skull?" Will whispered harshly at Jack as men in boats rowed over to take them as prisoners. Jack smiled sheepishly at Will as the boats neared and said, " ' Guess the skull grew skin, aye?"

As Will was being dragged on to the boat by Beckett's crew, his gaze fell on Lila as Andrew held a gun to her head. He told her all those years ago that he would die for her. And that moment seemed to be coming... Would he?

Of course he would. And that's exactly what he kept telling himself.

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**_"...There are only four questions of value in life.  
What is sacred?  
Of what is the spirit made of?  
What is worth living for?  
What is worth dying for?  
The answer to each is the same. Only love..."_**

_

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_REVIEW? 


	13. Jack and Lila's Secret

**I'm on a role for this story!**

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_"...If you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just... _  
_passes you by..._ "

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"What are your intentions, exactly?" The young princess whispered, half surprised that her voice came out as shaky as it did. Cutler, who had been looking out the window, turned from it and darted his now silver eyes on Lila. It startled her, but she kept quiet nonetheless. She was starting to really question this man. Not only because of the fact that he had yanked her out of that boat by gun point, but because Will and Jack were tied up rather tightly in the corner while she was sitting at his table drinking tea.

Well, she wasn't drinking it. It was just there.

"You Highness." Cutler said pleasantly as he offered her more tea. She shook her head, so he placed the pot down and smiled at her. Sitting down he said in that same chillingly pleasant voice, "I can assure you that my intentions are exactly as your own-"

"I can assure you that if you so as lead me-"

"Miss Parrish-" He began, leaning closer to her. "-my dear great-grandson or how ever the hell he is related to me, he didn't want the crown for himself." Jack felt Will tense up beside him as Beckett spat that. "You want to keep your crown, I want it." He smiled as realization hit her. She pierced him with her green eyes as she spat, "Never."

A grin spread across Cutler's face as he looked behind her. Lila knew who he was looking at, and didn't dare to look back. "Well, well, well. I guess Mr. Turner-"

"Captain." Lila instantly corrected him. Cutler looked down at her and stared at her for a long time as he said, "Captain Turner, my mistake. It would seem as if he moved passed the dear, late Miss Swann and moved to the fair princess-" He stroked her cheek gently as he said that. His touch seemed to have an affect on Lila. She froze at his touch. Not like when she did with Will, but out of pure fear.

Cutler Beckett had that affect on people as it would seem.

" 'ow the bloody 'ell are you standin' there?" Came an amused voice from behind them. Cutler looked irratated. Whether that was because Jack had that affect on people, or because his threat had been interrupted, Lila didn't know.

"Did you not gag them?" Cutler asked one of the men guarding the door. The man shrugged as Jack said, "I mean, 'ell! I've got your skull-"

"I was raised by magic, Sparrow. I have no need for human qualities." Had she not been scared to death at that moment, she would have laughed at the face that Jack made when Cutler said that. Hell, Will was even trying not to laugh. "You think it's funny, do you Turner?" Cutler made a warning move towards Will making Lila scream, "Don't hurt him-" She put her hands to her mouth.

Cutler whirled around and smiled as he strolled back over to her. Jack was now staring at her with an unreadable look on his face. Cutler grabbed her face, making Will struggle to get free of his ropes, as he said, "So it is true. Well, my love, I hope that you have told _Captain _Turner that you love him. Because if you don't-" He snapped his fingers, and his men picked up Will and Jack and led them out the door. When Will's gaze locked on Lila's for a moment, Cutler whispered in her ear, "-the moment may pass you by."

Lila felt a tear roll down her cheek when they pushed Will out the door. "You're a bast-" He took her face and pulled it to his before saying, "Don't be saying things that you'll regret later, Your Highness. You will indeed regret it."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lila spat at him, "In an instant I could have my father's navy after you. You don't know who you're dealing with, Mr. Beckett. But I advise you to learn." He grabbed her harshly at the sound of her tone and hissed, "Listen to me, Princess. I know exactly who I am talking about. I'm talking to my future wife." Her eyes got wide at that statement as he smiled and said, "Then, you'll be happy because you'll still have the crown, but I will too. And if you refuse to do as I say, I'm sure_ Captain_ Turner will-"

"_You leave him out of this_!"

"I seemed to have hit a nerve." He said with a slight smirk. He looked to his men and said, "Allow Miss Parrish to make herself at home. I don't want my fiancee to feel unwelcome." And with that, he left, leaving a tearful Lila behind.

"You remind me a lot of her." She was pulled out of her thoughts late that night. Everyone was already to bed, and Lila did not want to lay eyes on Cutler anymore than she had to. She had already decided that she was only doing this for Will's safety. Because if it was up to her, she'd give that damned crown up for him.

"Excuse me?" She asked. She hadn't heard him. Not that she didn't want to talk to him. But she hadn't heard him. He smiled at her and said, "I said, you remind me a lot of her. I guess that's why Will fell for you so hard." Lila smiled at that. Cutler had taken Jack and Will's crews aboard his own. While most was in the brig, some was working for him. Bootstrap came to sit beside her on the steps. A small smile was on his face as he said, "His mother."

"Oh." For a single moment, she thought that he had been talking about Elizabeth. True enough, Elizabeth had been her best friend almost like her sister back during her years in Port Royal. But still, Lila didn't know how to react if Will was comparing her to Elizabeth. Bootstrap, who had been staring at the sea, came back to look at her. If Will could age, she imagined Will looking like this when he reached his father's age. But like Will, Bootstrap would never age. He wasn't bound to the Dutchman any longer, but would remain immortal unless killed. "What was she like?"

The man that had become like her father over the last few months came to sit beside her. She felt as if she could confide more in him than she could her own father. And somehow, that broke her heart. He smiled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said, "Like you. Strong. Could wield a sword when she wanted to, but she wasn't a pirate. I think that is why Will didn't stand a chance when he met you. You reminded him too much of his own mother. I knew I saw it that first time I met you. You remember her at all?"

Alena Turner had been a good friend of her own mother. Long before she moved to Port Royal, when she was about 6, she used to stay frequently at their house in London. Until she died when she was 8 around the same time her own mother was killed.

" 'Bout as much as I remember my own." She said as she rested her head on his shoulder. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I wish I did, Lila." Bootstrap said as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "They told me that she died of a sickness. But when Grant told me that your mother died the same day, I thought it was too strange. Alena, I think, was killed as they tried to get information out of her about your mother's whereabouts. They killed her after they were done with her and then your mother-"

"Why would they have wanted to kill her, though?" Lila asked, pulling her head off of Bootstrap's shoulder.

"Amphitrite gave up her immorality as you probably know, so that she could raise you away from your father's castle. At this time, the EITC was going strong and bringing a war upon your father's kingdom. She held the Jewel of the Sea. A small amethyst that could do wonders. Calm the sea, create storms...powers that Calypso herself posseses. They needed that amethyst so they could calm the merpeople that guard your fathers castle so they could kill him theirselves. She didn't have it. So they killed her as well."

"Amphitrite? My mother's name wasn't-"

"Your father never told you??" When she gave Bootstrap a look, he smiled and said, "Your mother's name wasn't really Anne. It was

Amphitrite, goddess and queen of the sea. You never knew?"

"No." Lila said, putting her head back on Bootstrap's shoulder. Well, her father never talked about her mother. She had to have turned pirate like she had always thought. That was why she turned out to be a pirate...

Or maybe...maye all of the fantasies she had about her mother were just that. Fantasies. What if her mother was just like her father? A queen. Nothing more. Not a pirate...no, she had to be. That's why her father never talked about her. She was a pirate. Just like Lila. As she was doing this, she put her hand on the necklace her mother had given her when she was 8, the year she died.

Over a century ago, and she had never taken it off once.

Realization hit her, and she looked up at Bootstrap who nodded and said, "Yes. That's the Jewel of the Sea. Amphitrite gave it to you, because she knew that the EITC wouldn't ever dream of it being on a child." All of these years, she had had the power to do whatever she wished with the sea. "Don't get carried away, though-" Bootstrap said as if reading her mind. "-you have to learn you powers. Come in to them. Practice takes time-"

"I told you! I don't know what that damn thing is!" Came a shout from behind them. Bootstrap and Lila carefully got up, and walked quietly over to where the shouts were coming. They hid behind a barrel so they could see the on-going arguement.

"And I told you that if you don't tell me, as soon as I'm married to the princess, I promise you-" Will was being restrained by two men as Cutler yelled at him. Before finishing, Cutler grabbed Will's face as he had done Lila's and spat, "-she'll be killed. And you'll do the honors."

"I won't." Will said, looking to be on the verge of tears though his voice remained strong and murderous. "And you know that I won't."

"If you don't want her to die a quick and pain-free death, then you don't have to. Either you do it quick, or I'll make you watch and let her die a slow and painful death." Cutler let go of Will's face so fast, that Will probably would have fallen over had he not been restrained. Cutler grabbed a sword and lifted it to Will's throat. "You don't want to bring your girl into this, do you? Because, I know your mother told you where that damn Jewel is. I need it to kill Neptune! WHERE IS IT?"

"I don't know." Will said, trying to pull free of the men restraining. "I bloody told you that I don't know where the hell that thing is! My mother-"

"-was a coward."

"Don't you _dare_ talk about her like that." Will spat causing Cutler to whirl around and look Will in the eye. If looks could kill, Cutler would have been dead insults ago. "I'll speak of her however I please, Turner. You watched me kill her, you can watch me kill the girl you love as well. Once I have the crown-"

"That was you?" Will asked him, confused. Lila felt Bootstrap tense up beside him as he was giving, though unknown to anyone but Lila, a look that mirrored his son's. Cutler laughed bitterly as he said, "Fine thing, to be immortal, isn't it? Dead for a century, back for a century more. That's my price, but a good one. I'm alive and kicking, and I swear on pain of death, that you will finish off your girl."

"The only person that I'm going to be finishing off is you." Will replied cooly. "I'm not going to lay a hand on her and neither are you-" That was accompanied by a slap which made Lila turn her face into Bootstrap who brought her in his arms.

"Good thing that you're immortal, Turner-" Lila looked back up, as Cutler put his sword at Will's chest. "-makes torturing you all the more fun-" It happened before Bootstrap could do anything. If happened faster than anyone could do anything. The sound of a sword going thru someone's body is a sound most of them never wanted to hear again. Will closed his eyes, scared of what he would see. He didn't feel any pain, but he found out why not minute later when he felt someone fall against him.

When they fell backwards on the deck, he opened his eyes to see who he had his arms wrapped so tightly around. Lila was clinging to him as Cutler took her sword out of his stomach. Laughing, he said, "What? Did you honestly think you could kill me?" Seeing his ring on her finger, he laughed and said, "I could lie and say we're married. I can kill you now-" He raised the gun to Lila's head but was cut off when Bootstrap emerged with a sword pointed at him as he yelled to Will and Lila, "RUN! I'VE GOT THEM, GO!"

"But, Dad-"

"Will, take her and GO!" Will grabbed Lila's hand as the two of them ran down to the brig, not looking back. He turned around and locked the door, before placing barrels and things in front of them to keep them from getting in. Drowning out the sounds of the fight upstairs, Will brought Lila's shaking body into his arms allowing her to cry. "Shhh, darling." He whispered against her hair as he stroked it. "I've got you, and I'm not going to let him hurt you. I promise you that."

Only one thing that Cutler had said to her was a good piece of advice. 'Tell him you love him, or the moment will pass you by'. She pulled back and looked into his dark brown eyes. She knew just looking up at him that he knew what she was about to say, but she said it anyway, "Will, I love you."

He smiled before saying, "I was waiting to hear you say that." And he leaned down and kissed her more than he had back in the boats, making up for all those years. When he felt her arms around his neck, he put his on her waist and said, "I love you too, Princess-"

"-Sorry to break this up. "Came an oddly familar voice from the back of the brig. They broke apart to see Jack's cell open and two figures walking up to them. Captain Teague grinned as he twirled the keys around his finger and said to her, "How's my favorite niece?"

Lila broke away from Will and ran up to Grant and hugged him. Laughing, he pulled her into his arms and laid a kiss on her forhead as Jack walked up from behind him. Will was, for once, at a loss for words as he stared up at Jack. Jack was grinning as he stood beside Lila who broke away from Grant and shrugged...had Jack and Lila always looked a like?

"Niece?" He repeated to Jack who walked over to him and smiled.

"Mate-" Jack whispered teasingly. "-what if I told you everything you've heard about us was a huge cover-up?"

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_"...If you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just...  
passes you by..._ "

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**Review?**


	14. Do Your Buckles

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_"...you can't express every feeling that you have every moment that you have them..."_

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"Well, you know, Will. Courting your cousin really is quite common this day and age." Lila said as she sat on the bench, swinging her legs back and forth. "I mean, take our Aunt Gesibelle for example-" Both Grant and Jack gave her looks as if to say 'shut up'. She smiled, and pushed that comment aside as she said in a less than convincing voice, "Not that _we_ did." 

Jack rolled his eyes at the tone of her voice, causing Grant to stare at the both of them. Jack tried to smile, but Lila cut in and said, "And half of this, I'm just as confused as you are." Will, for the first time, looked up at Lila like she was crazy. He didn't know what he was feeling inside, all he knew was that he didn't like it.

"You look bloody awful, mate." Jack said as he pulled the chained amethyst up from Lila's neck. She saw this, and smacked his hand causing him to pull it back and rub it as he looked at her with a wounded face.

"Jack, shut up." Grant said, coming out of the shadows. "I think that William is just confused at the moment."

"Yes." Will said, finding his voice. "Actually, I am rather confused-" He trailed off to look at Lila and Jack who were quietly arguing about something. Grant groaned and walked over to the both of them and smacked the back of their heads. As he left his niece and son groaning in the corner, he walked back over to Will and said, "What do you want to know?"

He took a barrel, and in one swift motion, pulled it to sit on in front of Will. Getting over his shock (a little) over this whole situation, Will managed to ask Captain Teague, "Why-...I mean, why keep it a secret?"

"Well, you see-"

"Can it, Jackie." Grant spat back at his son, causing Jack to look as "wounded" as he did when Lila smacked his hand. Turning back to Will, he said, "When my sister was murdered, we knew that Beckett was going after the Jewel of the Sea. Amphitrite made that decision the put it on Lila's necklace. No one would ever think about that. We had to keep it secret because Jack at that time worked for Beckett. And if Beckett knew that he was related to Lila-"

"-she'd be a bit dead right now." Jack said in a voice mixed with amusement and seriousness. He moved his arm around Lila's shoulders, and to Will's surprise, she didn't shrug it off like she usually did. She only smiled at Will and said, "I was just told to always keep it a secret or I could be in danger-" She smacked Jack's hand again, causing him to give her a death glare.

"Jack, for heaven's sake, leave her alone." Grant said in a irrratated voice. Lila smirked at Jack, before turning back to her uncle. He had never been able to place it before, but apparently, Lila had gotten her looks from the Sparrow side of the family. Because, she was indeed as much Sparrow as Jack was. Lila turned back to Will and said, "And that Jewel thingy? I didn't know about it until your father-"

Will and Lila's gazes locked as realization hit them both. Grant, as if reading their minds, said, "He's fine. I sent my crew up to follow us."

"Uncle Teague-" Lila started, causing Grant to whirl around. "-how did you find us?"

"Pirate's way, love." Grant said with that trademark Sparrow smirk. Moments later, he shrugged it off and said, "I ran into his little grandson person back in that island off of Singapore...or Florida...I can't remember which-" Will, Lila and Jack all exchanged glances consisdering Florida and Singapore weren't exactly side by side. "-didn't recognize me apparently. But as we speak, my crew is taking over this ship." He looked rather pleased, while Jack looked at his father with an almost scared expression.

Will couldn't blame him one bit.

They made their way on deck moments later to see that Beckett's crew was tied up to railings, the mast, the wheel, anything that they could possibly be tied up to. Will was holding Lila's hand rather tightly as they walked down the deck. She smiled up at him and said, "Will, darling. I'm_ not_ going anywhere."

When he realized how tightly he was holding it, he smiled down at her, not the slightest bit embarrassed and said, "Sorry, Li." She gave his hand a squeeze as they walked up to his father. He was massaging his shoulder, but otherwise looked fine. He beamed when he looked down and saw their hands entwined, then said to Will, "Proud of you."

He didn't have to ask him why he was proud. It was unspoken. He was proud of Will that Will had finally realized that Elizabeth wouldn't want him to dwell on her death forever. He was about to open his mouth and say something, when Grant walked up and laid a hand on Lila's shoulder and said to them, "We're sailing with no stops to the island where your grandfather put all of his weapons-" Bending down slightly to look Lila in the eyes, he said, "Love, this is your father you're about to fight against. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course I am." Lila whispered as Jack came to stand behind his father, giving his cousin a smile as she said that. "My mother was a Sparrow, after all. Making me-"

"-one of the best Sparrows this family will see." Grant said, looking over at Jack and saying, "Goes for you as well if you don't do some bugger thing to mess everything up as you usually do." Jack looked at his father with a wounded face as he said, "Bloody 'ell, man. You talk to me as if I'm not even your son-"

"Don't test me, _Jackie_." That caused both Lila and Will to smile. Jack made a face as his father took a rope and swung back over to his ship. Lila snorted as Will moved his arm to her waist, "Goodness. Jackie? Haven't heard that one since Aunt Getrude-"

"Don't even do that, Lila." Jack said as he staggered over to another rope. Grabbing it firmly he said, "Ta, my dears-" Jack took the rope and was about to swing over to the Pearl like his father had before him. Only, being Jack, he hadn't realized that his rope wasn't secured onto anything. So, when he jumped off of the railing, he fell into the water.

"Oh, bugger." He mumbled as he resurfaced, ignoring the laughs of Will and Lila above him. "Bugger, bugger, bugger-" He hissed at the ropes as he struggled to untangle himself from them. Will smiled over at his father, and then whispered to Lila, "Come on the Dutchman for a while." When she looked up at him and saw the look on his face she asked, "Why?"

He smiled as he leaned down and kissed her cheek, "Just to catch up, is all."

The war was coming. Everyone on board the Dutchman knew that. With the Pearl in the front, and the Rose following, everyone knew that the time to fight was coming. Bootstrap smiled to himself as he walked to the wheel, taking over as captain once again. Will and Lila had been disappearing lately on the ship. Talking. That was it. Catching up and just talking...well, not just talking, but Bootstrap knew how much of a gentlemen his son was and how much he truly loved and respected Lila.

Will and Lila were down in the lower decks. Will never got around to moving that organ of Davy's out of the Dutchman, and considering that Lila played it beautifully, he was glad that he wasn't. "Your father is Neptune, your mother was the queen of the sea. Your uncle on your father's side is Davy Jones, and on your mother's is Captain Grant Sparrow?" Will asked with a slightly amused voice as he came to sit beside her on the organ's bench, watching her fingers move gracefully on the keys. "Wouldn't be surprised if you were related to me."

"I'd certainly hope not." Lila said, wrinkling her nose and not taking her eyes off of the keys she was hitting. That was an expression that Will thought was adorable, and she knew it too. Will smirked as he said, "Didn't stop you and Jack."

"Ah, _touche_." Lila said, with a smile. He was seeming to be put into a trance by watching her play. The sound that was coming out was entrancing Will. He smiled as he said, "Your play...you're amazing."

She couldn't help but smile as she finished the song and said, "Thanks. My aunt made me take it up when I was in Port Royal..." She made a face, and then trailed off. Will knew what she was thinking, and decided to change the subject completley. So when she played the last note, he leaned down and kissed her softly. But that kiss didn't stay soft when she turned around and leaned into him, taking him by complete surprise. He smiled against her lips as he pulled her against him.

But their moment was interrupted when they heard someone walking around behind the door...listening. She groaned as she hopped off of the bench and walked to the door. "Lila?" Will asked with a worried look from the bench. When she came to the door, she turned around and saw that gleam in her eyes. He didn't like it at all. "_Lila_!"

She cleared her throat and said in a voice that took Will more off guard than that kiss. "Aw, Will..." The tone of her voice made Will stare at her in complete and utter horror. If his father was on the other end of that door-

"_**Lila**_!" He said in a harsh whisper. She just continued to smirk as she said, "I know, I love you too." She paused for a moment, before she said, "Does your timbers need shivering?" That was when his jaw completely dropped. He could not believe what had just came out of her mouth. A princess's mouth, no less. Will's face was turning scarlet as he managed to walk over to her. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but she put her hand firmly over it and said to the door, "-your buckles need swash...ing?" That was when his face got so hot, he knew it was about to explode.

When he finally managed to get free of her grasp and whispered, "Are you insane?"

"For you maybe." He never thought that his jaw could drop quite so far. But it did. He just stared at her, his face burning hot as he whispered, "Lila, shut up I-" She opened the door, and he buried his face in his hands. He heard her laugh and say, "Morning, Jack."

Will reluctantly brought hisred face out of his hands and gave the completely disgusted Jack a small wave before following, without a word or a glance to Jack, Lila up the stairs. "Lila, honestly!" He said in a squeaky voice when she started laughing. "What's that needed? I mean, bloody hell, Lila! That was-"

"He deserved it." Lila said, coming to stand close to Will. "He shouldn't be listening to our conversations like that." She leaned up to kiss Will, but he turned away and said in that same squeaky voice, "LILA! You didn't have to...heavens, _do your timbers need shivering_?"

He heard someone clear their throat behind him and say, "Excuse me?" He reluctantly whirled around to see his father staring down at him with a disapproving look on his face. Will felt like killing Lila at that moment. Bootstrap glanced at Lila then to Will and said, "We're here a at the cave. We're making port."

"Aye, Captain." Will said with a nod, causing Bootstrap and Lila to stare at him. "Bloody hell, I'm the captain..." He whirled around to look at Lila to say, "Do you see what you bloody do to me?"

"I try my hardest, Captain." She said, once his father had left, and leaned up to kiss Will briefly on his lips making him forget even more than he had alreaduy forgotten. Once she had gone, he just stood there for a moment, before shaking his head and getting out of his trance.

"ALRIGHT MEN!" He yelled getting his crew's attention. "Follow the Pearl and wave down the Rose to make dock!" They did as he commanded and started running about the ship. He put both of his hands on the wheel, and looked down at Lila who was now talking to Bootstrap about something. When she caught his eye, she winked quickly, before turning back to Bootstrap.

Turning the wheel, he mutted, "_Do your buckles need swashing? Do your timbers need shivering..."_ He rolled his hazel eyes and whispered, "Bloody hell."

* * *


	15. Not Again

**As you can tell, I'm having a hard time fitting in all of those girls, but they'll be back for the war! And Distressin' Damsel is going to be put on a temporary hiatus until I finish this one. I know where I'm going with this one, so I'm trying to finish it before (gag) school starts back. I have to say though, I'm very proud of this chapter.**

**You may want to bring out the tissues.**

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_"...mate, if you choose to lock your heart away you'll lose it for certain..."_

* * *

"Shiver me timbers." Came a teasing voice from behind him. Will dared not turn around, he just kept his hands firmly on the wheel, and his eyes watching the Pearl for directions. He heard a laugh as she came to stand on the other side of the wheel so that he had to look at her. "Will, I said I was sorry ages ago-" 

"My father hasn't looked at me in two days, Lila." Will said, darting his hazel eyes down at her. Since EITC were seen on the other side of the cave sailing to London, the Pearl, Dutchman and Rose had to go the long way around that enmormous cave to kill time. She gave him a smile that scarily reminded him of Jack as she said, "Will, I'm sure that it's not-"

"Yes, I'm _sure_ that it is." Will said with a slight groan as he pushed one of his dark ringlets back into his bandana. "I mean, what that really nes-"

"-I told you when I did it that it was." Lila said, putting her hands on the wheel so that she was looking Will in the eye and her hand were on his. "You know me. I haven't exactly mastered the art of thinking before I speak." He smiled at that one. He couldn't help it. Since the Sparrow Secret had come out and since his feelings for her was out in the open, she'd changed a lot.

And with that whole 'shiver your timbers' or whatever it was aside, Will couldn't say that he minded the change. "Well, love. Maybe that's an art you need to consider mastering in the near future..." Will said, looking back down at her causing her to smile. Or smile to hide her blush. Either one. "Now, Princess. If you don't mind, I do need my wheel back." She rolled her eyes and lifted her hands off of his.

"Take your wheel." She whispered as she leaned up and kissed him. He smiled against her lips as he wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping one on the wheel. His crew had become used to seeing them, so slowly, he got over the fact that they were kissing in public. Being Will, that took some time.

Had Elizabeth ever been this forward? No. Why was he even thinking about her. Lila could tel something was wrong, since after a minute, she pulled back to look at Will with a strange expression on her face as she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No, Eli-" He froze. He was hoping that she hadn't heard him, but she did. She just looked down for a minute, and neither of them spoke. When he opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off and said, "I'm going to go see where we're 'sposed to make port, alright?" She didn't say it like a question though, it was more like a statement.

Before he could speak, even nod, she was already down the stairs. He grasped the wheel again and muttered, "Damn..." He closed his eyes momentarily...

_"I'm just saying that you spend an awful lot of time with her." She turned to face him for the first time. Her green eyes were brighter than they probably should have been as she stared at him. "Li-"_

_"Will, just don't." She said, shaking her head. "Just don't...I'm leaving soon, we shouldn't be talking like this."_

"Alright, so..." Grant said as he took Jack's compass and began walking around in circles. "It should point to it...aw, forget it-" He threw it back at Jack. And instead of Jack catching it, since he was talking to Lila, it bounced off and hit him in the back of his head. Ignoring Jack's cries of pain, Grant said, "We're going to split up. Whoever gets there faster-"

"-wins." Everyone turned to look at Jack who had apparently gotten over his head. Will glanced around. Grant, Boostrap, Jack, Lila and himself. He groaned, more than likely he was going to be put with-

"This bloody thing..." Jack mumbled as he shook the compass madly. Lila rolled her green eyes and took it from him. Will decided that either they were going to get into an argument, or something else was going to stall them again. So, he leaned up against the cave's wall and looked at them with a bored expression.

He sighed. Their fathers, for some reason, always liked to pair the three of them up. Lila watched the compass spin, and glanced up at Will. After she stared at him for a moment, she shoved the compass back at Jack and said, "Well, it didn't point to the weapons, that's for sure."

Jack eyed Will for a moment as Lila walked past them and said, "He may be hidin' them-"

"Jack, honestly." Will said, disgusted as he pushed himself off of the wall. It's amazing. Years ago, he'd never be paired up with the likes of him, and now...he rolled his eyes as he said,"Where to, Captain?"

"Well, _Captain_-" Jack hissed back at Will, "-follow the road I 'spose." Will was about to open his mouth in protest, but he followed his gaze and saw that their was a dirt path leading down thru the cave. He looked up at Jack, outraged, and said, "There's been a road this whole bloody time?"

"I 'spose, mate." Jack said as he smirked, pulling at his moustache. "But I don't ever look down there." He walked past Will at the same time Will was resisting an urge to smack his forhead. He followed the pair of them who were now arguing about something. Drowing them out, he turned back to his own thoughts. Why did he keep thinking about Elizabeth? He was in love with Lila now, but he still couldn't help but think about her at least once everytime time he kissed Lila. Like kissing Lila was an insult to Elizabeth's memory.

What was going on?

Hours later, as they still continued to walk down that path that probably led them to nowhere, Jack was feet in front of Lila and Will since he and Lila just had another argument. This one apparently had lasting affect on it. Will glanced down at Lila who hadn't spoken to him since his slip up before. Sighing, he said, "I didn't mean to do that."

"I'm not mad at you." Lila whispered in a expressionless voice. He couldn't tell her emotion from it, which unerved him. "It just hit me weird, I guess. I-" She stopped for a moment, falling in step with Will. She wasn't looking at him, or Jack who was getting farther away from them. "Why did you leave?" Will asked her a minute later. "It was me. I found out that much. But it was because of Elizabeth too wasn't it? Why didn't you ever tell me?" He looked down at her to see that she had that same look in her eye that she had the day she left Port Royal. She sighed as she said in a quiet voice, "It wasn't your burden to bear."

"What did you just say?" She looked up at him, taken back by her tone. He pushed up against the wall and said, "_What did you just say_?"

"Will, what the bloody hell is wrong with you?" She spat at him, trying to get free of the grasp he had on her. He froze as he looked down at her. When this distracted him for a minute, she pulled out of his grasp and said, "What the hell is wrong with you Will? If you didn't want this-"

"-I never said that."

"Well, you're sure as hell acting like it." She said, her voice cracking when she spoke those words. "Will, you know this. You've always been between me and Elizabeth. And you can't deny that." Her words pierced his "heart" at every word that she spoke. "It's always been that way. You could never decide between us. And somehow, I feel like I was just a...a backup. Wouldn't you feel that way?"

He let go of her completely so he could look into her eyes. When he didn't say anything, she continued, "Elizabeth's dead, so now you go to the second girl on your list. Do honestly want to be like Jack-"

"You were never a damn backup, Lila." Will spat at her, anger filling him up. "I never once-"

"But that's how I felt, Will!" She said, "That's how_ I_ felt. I saw the way you looked at her...it killed me. That's why I left-" Will fell silent, though anger was still filling inside him. He wasn't sure if it was towards her, or towards himself.

"Well, Lila. I didn't think it fair that you expected me to wait for you." Will said after another minute of silence.

Lila shook her head, allowing more tears to fall as she said, "Damn, Will. Can't you see? Do you not understand why I left? I left because I didn't want you to wait for me. I left so you'd be with Elizabeth." She took a step towards him, "This was never about me." She turned around from him to start back down the path, leaving him in his painful thoughts. She stopped momentarily, though not turning back as she said, "It wasn't your burden to bear-"  
Now she faced him, "-but after all those years of crying for you, I think it's time for you to bear it as well."

He wanted to call after her. He wanted to keep her in his arms and tell her repeatedly that he loved her...but something was stopping him. And he didn't think it was Elizabeth. It was the words that Lila had just said to him. Were they true? Were they really? Sometimes the truth hurts more than a lie would. He sighed and continued up the path to see Jack was now only feet in front of him. He fell in step with his former enemy.

The two were quiet for a minute, before Lila disappeared around the corner. Will looked up at Jack when he said, "She said that she would wait for us at the end. " Jack said that in a weird voice. One Will had never heard him use before. After another thoughtful silence passed them, before Jack said, "Will, mate. If you keep lockin' your heart up like that, you'll lose it for certain." Jack turned to look down at Will as he said, "If you keep pushin' her away, you'll lose 'er for certain."

Will smiled as he asked, "Speaking from experience."

"Maybe." Jack's answer surprised him. He looked up into his face as Jack said, "What's holdin' you back, Will? She's gone. And no matter how much you love her, that's not goin' to bring 'er back, and you know that. She didn't fear death, Will. She didn't." Will closed his eyes as he remembered the day the spirit of his wife appeared on his ship and said that she wasn't afraid of death. If he wasn't immortal, he would have died at that moment.

"I know."

"Then, what's stoppin' you?" Will sighed as the two men turned the corner Lila had turned down moments before. Jack stopped rather quickly, making Will look up at him. "Jack? Jack, what's-" He turned to see that they were at the end of the cave. His grandfather's weapons were hanging all over the walls. And no-

"Lila." They both whispered at the same time. Jack ran to the end of the cave and started moving rocks and weapons. When he felt Will behind him, he said, "Our grandfather brought us back here when we were younger...we didn't use the entrance we were forced to use." But before Will could ask him what he was doing, he saw an open door. Jack motioned for Will to follow him as he said, "Somethin' made her leave..."

"...or someone." Will said as they continued to run down the dark path. Once they saw the light, Jack pushed open the door and led them out on to a small deck. They stood there for a minute in shock as they looked out to the horizon and saw hundreds of ships sailing towards the cave. "This really is it." Jack whispered as if almost to himself.

"Jack." Will said, looking at the other end of the deck. Lila was standing with her back to them, looking out at the sea. Jack and Will stared at her for a minute, before Will realized something. "_**LILA**_!" He took off running down the deck just in time to catch her. Jack wasn't far behind, with a look of fear on his ageless face.

"Bloody 'ell-" Jack whispered when he looked down at Lila, bloody stained on the front of her white shirt. All the color was drained out of his face when another gun shot rang out. Jack, breathing heavy, said in a cracking voice, "We need to get 'er out of here-" Will nodded and scooped the lifeless Lila up into his arms, and carried her back into the cave.

Once they were inside, Jack reached for her wrist. Will watched him in horror, knowing what he was trying to find. Something Will was too scared to do. Before Will could ask him, Jack nodded and said in that same voice, "She's alive...barely..." Will honestly thought that Jack was going to break down right there in the middle of the cave. But he didn't.

It was at that time that Will realized how human Captain Jack Sparrow actually was. Here as he was holding the dying body of Jack's cousin, and Jack was doing absolutley everything in his power to keep from losing it. Once they made it outside the other end of the cave, they ran into their fathers who were running up to them.

"They've found us-" Grant started, but stopped when he saw the look on Jack's face. "Jack, wha-" He looked to see Will coming out of the cave, blood all over his shirt. But that's when Grant realized that it wasn't Will's blood. It was- "Lila!" He ran over to Will, Bootstrap close behind him. Will couldn't say anything, he was surprised he was even still standing considering he felt like collapsing then and there.

"Will, get her back on the Dutchman." Bootstrap said, in a far away tone of voice. He turned his colorless face up to Will and said, "Do it." Will nodded and began walking back to the Dutchman.

"Men, prepare her for battle!" Will cried as he emerged on the ship. Everyone froze when they saw who Will was carrying. Will groaned and said, "Do as I commanded!" They nodded and began getting out cannons and guns and swords...everything. Will carried Lila's body down to the Captain's quarters and laid her down on his bed.

"Will-" She said, almost in a gasp. He felt a tear roll down his cheek as she cried, "Will-"

"Shhh, darling." He said, giving her a kiss on her forhead. "I'm right here. I'm not leaving you, alright? I'll promise you that if you promise me one thing, ok?" She nodded, her eyes slightly closing as he said, "You've got to promise me that you won't leave me." When she didn't answer, he said, "Lila, please."

"I promise."

"Stay awake, alright?" He said, taking her hands in his own. The door opened, and he instantly recognized the voice of James Norrington. James, instead of dying, had gone to the locker after Bootstrap killed him all those years ago. Being Will's locker now, Will brought him out of the locker, and allowed him to work on his ship since he had saved Elizabeth's life. "Captain-"

"James, do me a favor." Will was shocked at how different his voice sounded. "Go down below deck and bring me up the bandages, alright?" James stared at Will for a moment before saying, "Of course."

Will finally snapped out of it. He reached up and started taking off her shirt. Her breath hitched as she let out another groan, "Will-

"Darling-" He said as he allowed her to squeeze his hand. "-I know it hurts. Believe me, I know-"

"Captain?" James walked over to Will and handed him the bandages. He nodded and walked out, leaving thm alone again. Will turned back down to Lila, a form that he barely recognized as her, and said, "Darling, listen to me. I know it'll hurt, but you've got to let me-" She squeezed his hand again, probably because another pain shot thru her. It was killing him to see her like this. If she died, he'd blame himself. Had he not argued with her, she would have stayed with him. He could have protected her. He couldn't die...he could have saved her.

It was his fault.

And he would never forgive himself.

She nodded after the pain had stopped briefly, and let him remove the shirt. He lowered himself so he could whisper in her ear, "This'll hurt, but I have to do it-" She closed her eyes tight as he opened the bottle of medicine Calypso had given him years ago. He poured it on the wound, and surprisingly, she didn't protest or anything. He realized why when he looked up, "Lila, stay awake."

She forced her eyes back open as he started wrapping it up. He glanced back up, and said, "Darling, please-"

"Will, I can't."

"You're going to." He said, as he continued to wrap it. "Stay awake for me." She was honestly struggling to keep her eyes open. Will was getting more worried with every second, so he said, "Remember at Governor Swann's ball and I didn't want to kiss you." He glanced up and smiled when he saw a faint, but genuine, smile appear across her white but still pretty face.

"Yes." She said, in a weak voice as she smiled, "You said that it was because you'd been..." She was about to close her eyes, but stopped herself as she continued, "...you'd been sick. But I knew why...you didn't think yourself worthy."

Even though she could literally be dying at that moment, Will smiled because she sounded like her sarcastic self when she said that. He tried to pull her shirt back on, but she shook her head and winced. So, he settled for pulling her under the bed's blankets and tucking her in before laying down beside her. He kissed her forhead and said, "I didn't think I was. And I still don't."

"After the way I treated you back there..." She opened her eyes to look at him. He smiled when he saw that they were that same piercing, gorgeous emerald green that they had always been. "...how can you still say that?" He carefully put an arm around her, and let her lay a little on him as he said, "Because that was my doing."

She apparently thought it best not to argue with him then as another pain shot thru her. She winced as Will took her hand again, just in case. "You know, Li-" He started after she calmed back down. He stroked her warm cheek as he continued, "-that proposal I gave you all those years ago, you know it's still there if you want it."

"You're..." She winced again, before saying, "...asking me to marry you?"

"Being captain, I could command you to marry me." He smiled when another smile spread across her face. Her eyes momentarily closed again, before she popped them back open and said, "And as your fiancee, I'll say I except it." He smiled as he briefly brushed his lips against hers.

"You can go to sleep." Will said when her eyes closed, "You just have to promise me that you'll come back to me."

Her eyes closed as she allowed them to, and said, "Will, I could never leave you...even...if I tried." He smiled again as he got off of the bed, and kissed her again before whispered, "I love you, Lila." He wasn't sure, but as he turned out the light, he could have sworn that he heard her say, "As I do you."

A few hours later as Will looked at the maps as he sat at the table near the window, the door opened up. He knew it was Jack, because he was the only person that never knocked before he entered. "Neptune's declared that the war be postponed." That made Will look up at Jack who was shutting the door behind him. "The bullet that hit Lila was apparently a stray bullet from a battle that Neptune was fighting off the coast. Somehow he got word that Lila was shot, and postponed the war. It won't last though." He drifted off as he walked over to Lila's sleeping form. He stared at her for a minute, as Will said, "She woke up again about an hour ago. She's still hurting a lot though."

Jack's face changed to one of hurt as he leaned down and kissed Lila on the forhead. He turned to look at Will and came to stand behind him as he said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Mate, don't you need to-"

He glanced over at the chest with his beating heart in it, and said, "No, Jack. She promised me that she wouldn't leave me-" He turned up to look at Jack's face as he said, "-and I'm not going to leave her. Not again."

* * *

_"...mate, if you choose to lock your heart away you'll lose it for certain..."_

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	16. Playing Pirates and Wedding Promises

**Another flashback chapter! It'll be long, but oh well. And the first flashback is set a year before Will meets Elizabeth.**

* * *

_"...I should have told you the moment I met you. I love you."_

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**-London, England-  
-May 25, 1714-**

The perky little eight year old bounced down the streets of a small town in London. Her mother was visiting her friend Alena, which Lila couldn't say that she really minded. She was growing quite fond of Alena's son, William. And as close as they were, Lila knew that he wouldn't return those feelings. She made it down to a little pond behind the Turners' house and sat down, letting her feet rest in the water.

"Your mother's going to be mad at you." Came a voice from behind her. She didn't have to turn to see who it was. She knew. He came to stand beside her as she said, "Well, I hate this dress anyway. I don't care." Eleven year old Will came to sit beside her on the small deck. He was watching her as she kicked her legs back and forth and asked, "Are you really a princess? Or was your mummy lying?"

"No, I'm a princess." Lila said with a sigh as she stood up on the deck. Will was watching her as she did this, and followed her down the bridge as she said, "I don't want to be a princess though." She climbed up on to the bridge's rail, and began walking along the tall railing. If she fell, she would surely be carried down the currents. Will was watching her. He was worried, but he knew that even if he told her to stop, she would keep on doing it.

"What do you want to be?" Will asked her when they made it to the other side of the bridge. He reached up and took her hand, letting her lean on to him when she jumped down. When she was standing in front of him, she smiled and said, "A pirate." Will raised his eyebrows, but got where she was going at.

He chased her down the hill as she yelled, "You'll never get my treasure!" She picked up a stick and continued running down the path until she reached the pond once more. Since the bridge was past Will, she turned around to see that Will was holding out his 'sword' as he said, "Who says it's your treasure I'm after?"

They started sword fighting. Lila laughed and says, "Then what would you be after?" He smirked and said, "Your heart!" Lila smiled as she turned around fast and ran past him up to the house. He started laughing, and ran after her. The two of them kept running up the hill to the Turners' mansion as Lila called back to Will, "You'll never get it!"

"And why's that?" Will asked, getting closer and closer to her as he ran. She laughed again as she started running faster. Panting for breath, she said, "Because! I cut it out and locked it away in a chest far far away. On an island no one can find unless they've already been there." She turned back in time to see the young boy make a disgusted face, causing her to laugh as he said, "Then how do you know where the island is if no one can find it?" She turned the corner and yelled back at him, "Because I've already been there!"

When the two children made their way in to the front of the mansion, Lila saw their mothers walking out of the carriage, holding bags. Since Lila and her mother were staying a while with the Turners, her mother probably went shopping with Alena. Both of their mothers tuned out of their conversation when they heard Lila screaming, and Will in pursuit behind her.

"Oh, no." Alena said under her breath. "William, leave Lila alon-" But she never got a chance to finish her sentence, because Will nearly collided with her. "William! Honestly, darling. Leave Lila alone."

"But Mum! Lila said she cut her heart out and locked away in a chest." Will said as Alena took his sword and threw it to the ground. She glanced up at Amphitrite, now going by Anne, who was making a face at the sound of the story about her brother-in-law.

"William, no one can do that." Amphitrite said in a motherly tone as she sent a glare down to Lila who was hiding behind her for fear that Will would start chasing her again. "But Mum! She said that it was locked away in a chest-"

"William, honestly, darling. How on earth could a heart still beat when it's not inside you?" Alena asked her son as she licked her finger and began rubbing some of the dirt off of Will's face causing Lila to giggle. Will pushed his mother away, and whined, "Mum..."

Alena smiled over at Amphitrite, before saying to Will, "Alright, darling. Take Lila on upstairs. We'll have supper for you two later." She kissed the top of Will's head, before he ran over to Lila and grabbed her hand. As the two walked to the front door hand in hand, the two mothers overheard Will asked, "Can you really cut out your heart?"

"Why? You want me to do yours?"

"Lila Mercedes!" Amphitrite called out to her daughter in a warning tone. Lila turned around, still holding on to Will's hand and said, "What? I was just being polite and asking is all. Isn't that what princesses do? Be polite?" She smiled at her mother and walked back into the house.

Alena came to stand beside Amphitrite and asked, "A match made in heaven, huh?" Amphitrite smiled at her best friend and followed her into the house.

"I still think you're lying." Will said as he came to sit beside Lila on the couch as they drank the tea their mothers gave them that night.  
Lila shook her head so fast that her ringlets smacked her face and said, "Nuh uh! I'm telling the truth! I've seen his heart."

"Liar."

"Sticks and stones." She said in what Will would come to know one day as a 'Sparrow Tone'. She took another sip of her tea as Will said in a disbelieving tone, "I still think you're lying, Li. I don't think you've actually seen Davy Jones's heart because he doesn't exist."

"Whatever you want to believe." Said the young girl. Even though she was only eight years older, she was more mature and acted far older than her age sometimes. She stared at the fire for a minute, getting lost in its flames before Will said, "Why do you have to leave?"

She felt like crying when he said that. She didn't want to leave Will. He was her best friend. But she also couldn't wait to see Jack when she left for Spain the next morning. She had heard her mother tell Mrs. Turner that she didn't know when they'd be coming back, and that scared Lila a lot. She didn't want to leave Will. She laid her head on his shoulder as they drank their tea in silence.

"I don't know." She said a minute later. The two children were sitting by the fire, covered by a blanket and sipping on their tea. Not knowing when it would be the next time that they saw each other. She smiled and said, "Ok. I think we should get married." The words that came out of the eight year old's mouth shocked eleven year old William Turner. He looked over at her to see if she was smiling, but she was serious.

"Ok. We will." Will said nodding. "Next time we see each other, we'll get married. And then you can show me his heart. Because I still think you're lying. I don't think anyone can actually cut their heart out and live too." Lila smiled as Will said that. He smiled too and said, "But we got to promise each other we'll do it."

"Ok." Lila said, happily as she took her head off of Will's shoulder. Will stuck his free hand out and said, "So, let's make a promise that the next time we see each other, we'll get married no matter what." Lila smiled as she set her tea cup carefully on the glass table in front of them and put her hand in Will's as she said, "No matter what." Before Will could say anything, Lila pulled his arm and when he fell towards her, she kissed his cheek.

Will's face turned red when Amphitrite walked into the room and said, "Lila, darling. Time for bed." Lila hopped up from her seat, took her tea cup and beamed at Will before walking to meet her mother. As they walked up the stairs, Lila happily said to her mother, "Hey, Mummy! Guess what? I'm marrying Will!" Amphitrite laughed as she scooped her daughter up into her arms and said, "He'll make a fine husband for you, darling."

She kissed her, before setting her on her bed and said, "Goodnight, sweetheart. Get up early so you can tell your husband goodbye, ok?" Lila nodded sadly as he mother left. She heard her mother and Alena talking about a necklace, but she didn't know what they were talking about. The next morning, she got up bright and early. After she had changed and grabbed her bags, she walked down the stairs to see Alena and Amphitrite staring at her almost sadly.

"Darling, I'm not going to go with you today." Amphitrite said in a sad voice. Lila didn't know then that it was because the EITC was after her and Alena. Alena, because she knew where the Jewel of the Sea was, and Amphitrite simply because they thought she had the jewel and she was the wife of Neptune. Killing her would be a step towards killing the king himself.

"But Mummy!" Lila said, almost on the verge of tears as Amphitrite pulled her into her arms and kissed her before whispering, "Jack will be waiting for you at the docks today, ok? He'll be with you."

"Will you come later?" Lila said, wiping her tears. Amphitrite smiled sadly once more and said, "Yes. I'll never leave you."

As the four of them pulled in front of the docks, Amphitrite leaned down and gave her daughter a kiss before saying, "I love you more than you'll ever ever know. And I'll never leave you, darling. I promise. But promise me that you won't take that necklace off for anyone. No on. Not even Jack. Or Uncle Teague." She said those names in a low whisper. Lila nodded and hugged her mother tightly. Her mother kissed her one last time, holding back her tears as Lila said, "I love you too, Mummy."

"You'll make a lovely queen someday, darling. I know you will. I love you." Amphitrite turned so that Lila wouldn't see her crying. Alena smiled as she leaned over and kissed her head and said, "Take care of yourself, darling." She looked down at her son who looked on the verge of tears himself. Alena smiled at him and said, "Why don't you walk her, William?"

She gave her mother one last hug before leaving the two women behind in the carriage. She didn't know that would be the last time she would see either of them. Will stopped at the end of the docks, and looked at Lila with a sad look in his eyes. They didn't speak, until Will said, "You still promise to marry me?"

"Yes." Lila said, as tears rolled down her cheeks. She hugged Will tightly as she said, "I promise I'll marry you. And show you his heart." Will was trying not to cry as he hugged her back. After a minute, Lila pulled back and smiled at Will. Then, she leaned over and kissed his cheek like she had done the night before and said, "One day."

He put his hand over the spot she had kissed him, and nodded as she said, "One day." She smiled as she hugged him again. For the last time. Then, she grabbed her bags and walked further away from him. Waiting till the carriage was out of sight, Lila did as instructed, and turned the other way in the direction of where Jack's ship would be. The Wicked Wench.

"How's my favorite princess?" Came a voice from behind her. She turned around to see Jack hopping out of his longboat and on to the deck. She smiled as he came over to her and hugged her, picking her up and twirling her around. The 17 year old smiled down at his cousin and said, "Lovely as always, darlin'." He kissed her cheek, before setting her back down. Taking her hand, he led her to the longboat and asked, "Has Amph- I mean, your mother already gone?" When Lila nodded, a sad look washed over Jack's handsome face, before he changed it to a smile and said, "Well come on. I'll teach how to shoot a cannon. Just don't tell your Uncle Teague, alright?"

He bent down and let her climb on to his back. She laughed as he ran down the decks on to the boat, but the next night, she wouldn't be laughing. She walked in to the room. Uncle Teague was staring at the ground, his head in his hands. Jack was leaning against the wall with his eyes shining bright. He smiled when he saw the little girl walking into the room. He sat down and motioned for her to crawl on to his lap.

He looked up at his father, who nodded and left the room. He was too upset at the thought of his sister's death. And the more he looked at Lila, the more he saw her. She crawled on to his lap and rested her head against his chest as his strong arms wrapped around her. He kissed her forhead, before saying, "Darlin', I have to tell you something."

He took a deep breath when he saw her gorgeous green eyes lift up and look into his own chocolate ones. They mirrored his aunt's eyes. That momentarily made him freeze. Taking another deep breath he said, "Do you remember when your mother used to tell you about those angels? The ones watchin' over you?"

Lila shook her head as he pushed back her golden-brown ringlets and said, "Well, she's one of them now."

"But, she won't be coming back. She told me that she would never leave me, Jack! She told me that-" She started crying as he pulled her into his arms and tried to calm her. "Darlin', I know she did. I know. But she won't leave you. She'll always be watchin' over you."

She raised her head off of Jack's chest and said, "Are you telling me the truth?"

He smiled as he wiped her tears and said, "Every word, love. Every word." He closed his eyes as he pulled her back into his arms. She cried silently for a minute, and though feeling like he was himself, he had to be strong for Lila. When she fell asleep moments later, he took her into his room and tucked her into his bed.

He sighed as he laid beside her. A minute later, she popped open a green eye and moved over to lay beside him. He smiled as he put his arm around her. He looked down at her for a minute, before he pulled her necklace away from he neck and stared down at the amethyst. The Jewel of the Sea.

His aunt had given him orders to make sure that he kept her safe. And he intended to keep his promise, just as he knew that she was going to keep hers with Lila.

* * *

_"...I should have told you the moment I met you. I love you."_

_

* * *

_

**The next chapter will be a flashback chapter too. Then, after that...the war begins.**


	17. Because You Already Have

* * *

_"...hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable..."_

* * *

**-Port Royal-  
-June 1st, 1721-**

"Who are you looking for?" Came a voice from behind her. She nearly jumped when Elizabeth came to stand beside her since she had been so lost in thought for the last few minutes. It was a gorgeous day in Port Royal. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Lila and Elizabeth were standing on the docks near the Naval Ships. Lila smiled over at Elizabeth and said, "No one. Why did you think I was looking for someone?" She followed Elizabeth down the docks back into the town.

As the two girls made their way down the streets of Port Royal, Elizabeth said, "I don't know. It just seems for the last few days that you've been..." She stopped when the passed the blacksmith's shop. Probably because Lila froze when a young man walked past them. "Lila, darling. You've been distant I guess that's what I'm trying to say. Distant."

"What does that even mean, Liz?" Lila said as she tore her eyes off of the young man and followed the girl that had became like her sister. Their fathers worked together many times, and ever since she left London, the two girls became very close. Elizabeth laughed as Lila caught up to her and said, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you seem different-"

She trailed off, because at that time, James Norrington walked up to them. "Good morning, Miss Swann-" He said beaming at the young girl. Then he turned to Lila, who was looking back in the direction of the blacksmith shop. "Good morning, Your Highness."

"Good morning, James." Lila said as he kissed her hand. She smiled as he turned back to Elizabeth and said, "Miss Swann, may I have a moment." To say that Elizabeth looked surprised would be a lie. But Lila knew she was faking that surprised look. She, and everyone else pretty much, knew that James fancied her. "Oh. Of course. Lila, will you be alright?"

"Elizabeth, you forget that I have half of the Port Royal Navy following behind me." Lila said with a smirk as she turned to look at her. Elizabeth smiled at that and followed James to the other side of the docks. She smiled as the two of them walked away. They were such a smart match. "Your Highness-" Gillete said, standing at attention when she walked past him. Lila rolled her eyes, but said, "I told you that you don't have to do that. I'm just going to take a walk down here-"

"We'll be close behind." Gillete said as he and the men followed just feet behind her. Rolling her green eyes, her mother's eyes, once again, she walked down the streets. When she came to the blacksmith's shop, she froze and looked inside it for a minute. She knew that she saw someone that looked oddly familar, but she wasn't sure. She sighed as she looked in the window, then she turned from it, unaware that the man inside it just looked back out the window.

As she walked back down the streets again, and ended up on the docks once more. She longed to be a pirate. She knew that her mother had been one, and Jack and her uncle. She had it in her. She had Sparrow blood in her. And that's what she truly wanted to be. A pirate. She heard the dock's boards squeak beneath someone as they walked closer to her. Thinking that it was Gillete or one of his men, she didn't think anything of it until he said, "I don't mean to bother you, Princess. But I do think that you promised to marry me."

Lila recognized the voice, something in it, but she had to think before she turned around. She didn't want to turn and it not be him, so she waited. A soft laughed escaped the man's lips as he said, "And you know what? I still think you're lying about that heart." That did it. A smile spread across her pretty face as she turned around to look at his own smiling face.

He wasn't the small, short little curly haired boy she had last seen seven years ago. No. Now, he was a very, very handsome young man. He was tall, and a small moustache and beard played across his tanned, handsome face. She smiled even more as she asked, "Will?"

"You were expecting someone else?" He asked as he took a step towards. She laughed as she ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. He laughed too as he wrapped his arms around her and said, "Goodness, Li. You know how much that I've missed you?" She was surprised at how deep his voice had gotten. Still keeping her arms around him, she said, "Not nearly as much as I've missed you, Will."

He laughed again and looked down at her. He stared at her for a moment, before he said in a quiet voice, "Li, you're...you're beautiful." She felt a blush creep across her cheeks as she found the voice to say, "Well, you don't look too bad yourself, Turner." Will laughed again as he pulled her back into his arms and said, "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad you are." Lila said with a smile as she asked, "Why are you here? I thought you'd still be in London-" She turned to the men following her and said, "I'm fine. I'll meet you back here in a moment. Don't worry, I won't tell my aunt." Gillete looked skeptical, but nodded and he and his men left the couple on the dock. Will's faced changed and said, "After my mother died, I came out here."

"Alena died?" Lila asked in shock. "Oh my goodness, Will. I'm so sorry. When did this happen?" Lila took Will's hand, which made him smile as he remembered them when they were little and said, leading her back to the bench. "She died a few days after you left." That hit Lila hard, remembering her own mother's death. Then, they didn't realize what they would know about a century later. "Her funeral was quiet. Your father came, I don't know if you knew that. He said that you were with your relatives in Spain. I didn't know you were Spanish." He added with a slight smile.

"_Si, yo soy Espanol_." She said with a smile as they temporarily got off of that tough subject. That made him smile more before she said, "Only half though. My dad's English. I get it from the Sp- I mean, my mum's side of the family." Will's smile wiped off his very handsome face (one Lila found herself staring at) when she said that. For a heart pounding second, she thought that he had caught on to what she was about to say.

"Yes. Your father told us about her. I'm sorry." Will added as he looked over at Lila. She smiled as she still held on to his hand, even though they were now sitting, and said, "I am too. But thanks. It's been so long. It just seems like the time has passed so slowly."

"I know what you mean." Will said in an understanding voice. He looked down to see their entwined hands and looked back up at Lila. He really couldn't belive that little girl had grown up to look like this. She was absolutley gorgeous. He must have been staring, because she smiled and said, "Is something wrong?"

"Oh-" He said, tearing his eyes off of her. He smiled and said, "-no, Li. Of course not. Nothing's wrong at all. It's just-" What? Was he really going to say that he was in love with her while he couldn't figure his feelings out for another one? No. No. He wasn't in love with Elizabeth. He was and had been as long as he could remember in love with this girl in front of him.

"It's what, Will-"

"Alright, Lila. Are you ready? We have to go get-" Elizabeth stopped when she saw Lila and Will holding hands. Lila immediatley dropped Will's hand when she saw her. Elizabeth smiled at Will and then asked Lila, "You two know each other?"

Lila got a pang of jealously when Elizabeth asked that. She didn't know why, but it might have had something to do with the tone of her voice. Lila straightened up, and was about to say something when Will said, "We grew up together." Elizabeth made a face, but then smiled at them and said, "Well, fancy that. Lila, darling. We need to be getting back to your aunt's in time for your lesson." Lila nodded and told her that she would be there in a moment. Elizabeth left again to walk back over at wait with James.

"What lessons?" Will asked her when Elizabeth left. Lila rolled her eyes at the sound of her bloody piano lessons. She smirked over at Will and said, "Not sword lessons, that's for sure." He smiled, but was taken off guard when she leaned closer to him.

"Come to the ball tomorrow night." Lila whispered before she kissed Will's cheek. The exact same one that she kissed at the docks before she left...the same one that she kissed when they promised to marry each other next time that they saw each other. Then she ran off to meet Elizabeth. Will put his hand over the cheek, and watched her disappear.

The next night, after hours it seemed of dancing, Lila managed to pull Will away from the party to the baclony. Will looked incredibly handsome all dressed up. And after getting over the pains that was coursing thru her (thanks to that bloody corset) she was glad that she wore that dress. She smiled as he came to stand beside her on the balcony. When he saw her smiling to herself, he asked, "What?"

"Nothing." She said, lying as she undid some of her curls, allowing them to cascade down her back. Will watched her as she did this and asked, "You never did actually see that heart, did you?"

She giggled and said, "Honestly, Will. It's been seven years and you're still wondering about that? I saw it. And it can be done." Lila said, turning to meet Will's hazel eyed gaze. He smiled down at her and asked, "Well, Princess. Why haven't you shown it to me yet? You promise-"

"Aye-" She said, immediatley realizing that she sounded too much like Jack for her own ears. Correcting herself, she said, "Yes, I did. But I think that your promised me something first-" Will's face changed when she said that. He looked down with that same expression that he had looked at her when she asked him to marry her seven years ago. To see if she was joking. But she wasn't looking at him. She was walking to the other side of the baclony. "Li-"

"What?" She asked him, turning back to meet his gaze. "I asked you that for a reason, Will. Even then I knew." He took a step towards her, unaware that she had just taken a step towrds him and asked, "You knew what?"

"This." She was leaning up, but he pulled back at the last minute and said, "Lila, I can't...I've been sick-" Lila rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. He was trying not to smile, because she looked so much like she did, at that moment, when she was a little girl.

"William Turner, you're lying." She pulled his arm so that he was forced to look at her. "I know you. I may have not seen you for the past seven years, but I know you. And I know that you also promised me that for a reason. I also know that you're going to go into some big thing about me being a princess and you being a blacksmith. You think I care?" She leaned closer to him, and despite his best efforts, he felt himself being pulled towards her on his own free will.

Somehow his arm had found its way around her waist as she whispered to him, "I don't care about those things, Will. All I want is you." He leaned down and kissed her. Something that he had been wanting to do for a long time. Even when they were just kids. She apparently did too, since she was kissing him back with as much intensity as he was kissing her. She felt him smile against her lips before he pulled back and whispered, "You know how long I've wanted to do that?"

Breathing as unevenly as Will was, Lila smiled and said, "Probably as long as I have, love" After they stood kissing on that baclony for a few more minutes, Will asked, "Can you really cut your own heart out and put it in a chest?" Lila started laughing as she pulled back and said, "Honestly, Will-"

"No. I'm serious. I mean, he cut it out to-"

"-give it to the girl he loved or something like that. I don't know. I never asked him." Will wrinkled his nose at that, causing Lila to laugh. Will leaned against the railing, still with an arm wrapped around her waist, as he said, "That's madness. I'd never do that."

"Never say never, Will." Will glanced over at Lila with a disgusted look on his face causing her to laugh again as she leaned up and kissed him. He broke away again and said, "Though, I probably would cut my heart out for you."

"Mmm.." She started laughing as she put her arms around him and leaned against his chest as she said, "You know, my offer still stands as it did when we were little. I'll cut it out for you-"

"Oh, yes." Will said, pushing her curls back. "I've seen you with a stick-"

"-sword."

"It was a stick, Lila." He said with a laugh as she pulled back again to look him in the eyes. She smiled too as he said, "A stick. And I remember many times when you would nearly poke my bloody eye out. Why would I let you near my heart?"  
He smiled when he felt her lean against him. Before she kissed him again, she smiled and whispered, "Because you already have."

* * *

_"...hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable..."_

* * *


	18. On the Same Path Again

**-Present Day-  
-The Flying Ductchman-  
**  
Neptune's War  
The Eve Before The War

* * *

_"People come into your life and people leave it...  
...you just have to trust that life has a road mapped out for you."_

* * *

Rain was falling steadily that night. It was silent, but sometimes a roll of thunder would be heard overhead, or an occasional gunshot or cannon ringing off in the distance as pirates everywhere prepared for what the next day would bring. 

If there was one, of course.

Neptune had declared war once more. News was spreading rapidly around the Caribbean islands that the war was on again. And this time, they knew that it wasn't going to be called off again. It was now that people had to choose sides on this now three sided war. Are you with Neptune? Are you with the pirates? Or are you with the EITC. That was something that had to be decided that night as three ships sailed off the coast of Port Royal.

The two captains sat in the dining room of the Dutchman. Sitting at one end was an ageless captain. A captain who had cheated death many times, failing once, but somehow always managed to come out on top. With the help of a certain fountain of course.

Sitting across from him was an immortal captain. A curse was broken until he went back to the Dutchman after the death of his wife and child. Forever immortal and forever young, he was no longer bound to the Dutchman, but somehow, he knew he always would be.

Will was watching Jack with some amusement as the thunder crashed again. Jack was taking his rum bottle and moving it around in little circles, watching the liquid swash around in it as he did so. Jack smirked slightly, before bringing the rum bottle to his lips. After he swallowed the enormous gulp of rum, he turned to Will and said, "I have to say-" He paused for a thoughtful moment, before finishing,  
"-this is by far worse than the fightin'."

Will glanced up at Jack to see him taking another drink. Lifting his bottle to his own lips, he asked, "What is?"

"This." Jack said, as if Will should have known. "The waitin'." Will nodded in agreement. Not knowing what was going on out there was killing Jack as much as it was Will. And that was saying something. The only captain out of all of them that was keeping a leveled head was Grant, but even he had his moments. "I gotta tell ya somethin', Turner. If it was'n for Lila, I proba'ly wouldn't be 'ere righ' now."

Will sighed. He could tell from Jack's words that he was getting drunk. Though Will knew that this probably wasn't the best time in the world to get drunk, he didn't object. Simply, because Jack wouldn't have listened to him anyway. Nodding his head in agreement as he leaned back on the back two legs of his chair, he said in a quiter tone of voice, "Truth be told, I probably wouldn't be either, Jack."

"Funny 'ow that works, isn't it?" Jack asked with a slight smirk. When Will didn't respond, Jack took that as a sign to keep on talking. "A girl that makes us do the very thin' tha' we don't want to do." Jack raised his bottle back to his lips and took a big drink. Will groaned and asked, "Jack, do you honestly think it wise to get drunk now?"

"Wha'? Gettin' drunk a 'fore a war, ay? Of course I do." Jack said with a snort, "Bloody good way to go into it, if ye ask me, mate." His eyes weren't focused on Will, but behind him as if someone was standing behind Will. This unnerved Will slightly, but he let no sign show that it did. Jack's chocolate eyes turned back to Will's hazel ones as he smirked at him even more.

"What?" Jack shook his head. "Jack, what?"

"Nothin', mate." Jack said with a smile as Will came back on all four of the chair's legs. "I just know what you want to ask me, is all." Will took this as his only opprotunity to ask this question. So, he did, "Did you two _really-_?"

Jack's grin grew as he rested his boots on the table, crossing them. Turning his intense eyes back on the young captain, he said with a smile, "Mate, I'm not goin' to answer a anythin' that has somethin' to do with nothin' at all. And that somethin' has a lot of anythin' to do with nothin' excecpt for the nothin' that it has somethin' to do with." Will rolled his eyes at Jack's completely confusing statement. Though Jack was smiling at it, pleased nonetheless. "She's a somethin', though, Will."

Getting over the shock that Jack actually called him Will instead of Turner, William, Mate or (cringe) eunuch, Will smiled over at the smirking face of his former rival as he asked, teasingly, "I'm guessing she's the something that has a lot to do with the anything that I'm not supposed to know of?"

Jack clicked his tongue, before smiling and saying, "Catch on fast, don't ye, William?" Will smiled to himself before Jack turned back to his bottle of rum. When Jack noticed Will was still watching him, Jack wrinkled his nose, teasingly, and said to him, "Mate, I'm extremely flattered, but I told you a'fore. My only love is the sea."

Will opened his mouth to speak, but caught himself. He smirked at Jack, who was now watching him closely with a scared expression as if he was going to whip out his sword and knock his head off. "Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"You know how Jones always said that he was the sea?"

Jack thought for a moment, before saying, "Aye, I do recall that."

"And if you think about it, I sort of am the...new Jones in a way, if you think about of course." Jack looked over at Will, confused at where he was getting at, but nodded in agreement as he thought about what Will had just said to him. Smirking, Will leaned over on the table and said, "So, do you think it wise to be going around saying your only love is the sea?"

Jack sat there, utterely confused, but then it hit him as hard as he thought Will was going to hit him a minute ago with his sword. He narroed his black eyes, and was about to say something, when Will said, "I'm extremely flattered, of course, Jack." Will said with a slight smile, "But I've told you before. As it were, I'm in love with the princess. So sorry-"

"-Turner, you forget your-" But Jack never got a chance to finish what he was going to say, because at that moment, a knock came from outside the door. "Will?" Came Gwen's voice a minute later, "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Will said as Jack still angrily stared at him as if he wished nothing more than to kill him. Gwen and Anya appeared in the room when the door was open. Gwen smiled at Will, but when she saw the look on Jack's face, her smile quicky faded. "What's wrong with him?" She asked, quietly as she glanced over at Will.

"Oh, just ignore him." Will said to her, smiling. "What is it that you need to tell me?"

"Lila's asking for you." Anya said, not taking her eyes off of the angry Jack who was still staring at Will with that murderous expression. But somehow, the sound of Lila's name had a calming affect on Jack who glanced up at the two girls and asked, "How is she?"

"Better." Gwen replied with a smile before Anya cut in, "A little cranky though."

"I believe I'd be a bit cranky too if my father's army just shot me." Jack replied, dryly, ignoring the glare that Will just shot him. Turning back to the girls he smiled and said, "Thanks, girls." When he reached the door, he whirled back around and motioned for the girls to meet him at the door. When they did, he said, "Make sure that you keep an eye on Jackie, over there. He's had a bit too much-"

"Again?" Anya said with a sigh as she looked over at Jack who was now fluffing Norrington's wig. All three of them were staring at him, before Gwen said, "We need to get rid of that."

"I thought Lila threw it overboard."

Will made a disgusted face as he watched Jack place the wig on his head, and said, "I thought she did too. Well, thank you anyway, girls." He smiled down at the two of them, before making his way down the small hallway to his quarters. When he got to the door, he knocked on it softly and said, "Darling-"

"Come in." He opened the door to see her sitting by the window, staring out off it. He sighed as he walked in, lighting a candle in the corner, and said, "Lila, darling. Do you think you should be-" He was cut off when she turned around and smiled at him. That distraced him momentarily as he stared at her. She looked like her normal self now. Not that girl that seemed to be on death's door step just a few weeks ago. He smiled himself as he walked over to her and carefully wrapped his arms around her.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her a moment later when he saw the distant look on her face. She didn't answer him for a minute. She only stared out at the moon. But she eventually said with a sigh, "This is madness. This whole thing." He looked down at her to see that she was rubbing the amethsyt again, "I mean, it already happened when we were kids-"

"-that was over a hundred years ago, Li. People have changed-"

"They haven't changed themselves, Will. This damned world has just changed them." She said, still not looking up at him, though she leaned more into him. He rested his head on hers as he thought about her statement, but he never had a chance to reply because she said, "Who do you think's going to win this? Honestly?"

"I don't know, love. I wish I did." He said, quietly. "Why? You're not doubting yourself, are you?"

"Part of me wants us to lose this." She said, in an even quieter voice than Will had just used. "I mean, I don't think I'm ready. Or ever will be for that matter. I'm not made for this, Will. I'll make a horrible que-"

"Don't say that." He said, shaking his head. "You heard your mother when we left you at the docks that day. She believed in you, Li." He was silent for a minute, before he said, "They all do. They're helping us, aren't they? And I do too." She looked up at him for the first time when he said that. He smiled and pushed back one of her curls as he said, "You'll make a fine queen, Li. Don't think differently."

"You're just saying that."

"I could say that I was just saying that to make you feel better." He said, smiling. "But it'd be a lie. It's the truth. You will be an amazing queen, Li. We'll win this-"

"-that's what I'm afraid of." She sighed as she rested her head against Will's chest. "It's a complicated emotion. I don't want my father to get hurt, but at the same time, I don't want this bloody crown. I'm not-"

"Lila."

"What?" She asked him in a bored voice. "I'm not-" She didn't know what she was about to say. Nor could she recall what she was going to say a minute later, because Will leaned down and kissed her softly. When he pulled back, momentarily, he smiled down at her and rested his forhead on hers as he said, "Don't doubt yourself. You'll get thru this. You'll become queen, and I'll be by your side the whole time."

She smiled up at him and asked, "Do you promise?"

"I keep my promises, darling. Because if you recall, I promised to marry you and I intend to do just that." She smiled at that, remembering thier last night together for seven years. "Unlike you though, Princess. I never saw his heart-"

"-liar. You saw it-"

"-ah, yes. I did, darling. But you're not the one who showed it to me, are you?" She laughed as he pulled her closer to him and allowed her to lay against him once more. He kissed the top of her head, and soon the room fell silent. He saw why a moment later, because she had fallen asleep. Smiling, he carefully scooped her up into his arms, carried her to his bed, and gently laid her down. He smiled down at her sleeping form as the Jewel of the Sea glistened in the moonligh. He closed his eyes, remembering the day her mother gave that to her. When he opened his eyes, and looked down at her, he realized that what everyone had always said was true. She did look just like her mother. Smililng, he laid down beside her and wrapped his arm around her.

His mother had always told him that people came into your lives for a reason. Will and Lila's destinies seemed to always be on different paths. They were once connected, then broken. Then they were entwined, only to be broken again. Now, it seemed that they were connected once more. And Will had already told himself that he was going to keep it that way for as long as he possibly could.

But this time, he had a strong feeling that the two of them were on the same path once again.

* * *

_"People come into your life and people leave it...  
...you just have to trust that life has a road mapped out for you."_

* * *


	19. We're Pirates

**Neptune's War  
**Day One

* * *

_**"...life's pretty good, and why wouldn't it be? I'm a pirate, after all..."**_

* * *

"Sir?" Neptune glanced up to look at Rupert's replacement, Aaron who was walking down the dock from the Sun. Neptune sighed and walked over to him as Aaron handed him a piece of parchment and said, "It's from Rupert. The Princess is better..." Neptune glanced down at the neat handwriting and instantly recognized it as that of his former first in command. "They're off the coast of Port Royal." 

"Alright." Neptune said, folding the parchment back up and looked down at the young man. "Load up the ships. The time is now." He walked past Aaron, his long purple cloak blowing behind him as he walked. Pushing a strand of his long, blonde hair out of his eyes, he made his way down the docks to the Sun. Just before he got on to the ship, he glanced out a the sea.

The same thing happened that night when Lila first went missing. He glanced down at what was suppossed to be the reflection of the sun rise to see that it was not rising, but setting. He looked back up at the sky in time to see a green flash shoot thru the early morning sky. He closed his ocean blue eyes for a moment, before he whispered, "Stay safe, darling."

_He looked out the palace window to see his young daughter walking along the shores. He smiled sadly at how much she looked like her mother. She was beautiful, just like her mother. He opened the door leading out to the beach, and walked up behind her. She smiled up at him when he came to stand beside her and asked, "Is it true that Uncle Davy is dead?"_

_Neptune smiled down at her and said, "No, darling. He's not." His little brother had been missing for a few weeks now. Stories had been circling around that the great Davy Jones was dead. He was getting a little worried himself. _

_He glanced back down at his daughter who made a face that made her look every bit Sparrow that she was, and sat down on the docks. Swinging her legs back and forth, she started humming a tune that he instantly recognized. The song her mother used to scold her for singing. The old pirate chanty..._

_"...never shall we die..."_

_She sang that low, but in a beautiful voice that you would have never dreamed to come out of a nine year old. She made a sad face at that last sentence, possibly remembering her mother. But something caught her eye. "Daddy?"_

_Neptune was brought out of his gaze at the sound of his terrified daughter. He looked down at the reflection she was looking at to see the sun setting instead of rising. She stood up and screamed when a green flash shot thru the morning sky. Not a few moments later, the Flying Dutchman rose from the depths. Lila smiled when she saw her uncle standing on the deck. Many people would have been scared at the sight of seeing a squidly, Davy Jones. But not Lila._

_"His day on land..." Neptune whispered to himself as he watched his young daughter run down the deck to meet her uncle. Davy smiled and picked her up with his human arm. "How's my princess?" She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck._

_"Neptune." Davy said as he walked along the deck. Neptune smiled at his brother and said, "Davy, what brings you here? You only have one day at land...why spend it-" He saw the way that Davy was smiling at Lila and nodded as he said, "Alright then. Come on in."_

_"Everything that he's told you is a lie!" Lila was outside her father's door that night. She wasn't supposed to be there, but she was. She leaned her ear against the door to hear her uncle yell again, "You're putting her in danger-"_

_"Don't bloody tell me how to raise my daughter, alright?" Neptune wasn't yelling like Davy had. He merely said that in an accusing voice before he said, "You just want the crown? Get me out of the way so you can-"_

_"I never damn said that and you know it." Davy shouted, his voice firm. Lila closed her eyes as a silence broke out before Davy said, "You can't keep her like this, Neptune. Look at you! You keep the poor girl in the whole time, Beckett's not protecting her. He's not. Do you know that he recently attacked the Black Pearl?"_

_Lila perked up at that as she heard Davy say, "Yes. You know why? He thought Sparrow had Lila. Do you know what he would have done to her had Jack Sparrow had her? He would have killed her, Neptune. She's the heir the the seven seas, mate. Once she's out of the way, all he's got to do is get to-"_

_"SHUT UP!" Lila felt a tear roll down her cheek when her father yelled that. Another silence, before her father whisperered thru gritted teeth, "Cutler Beckett is a well respected man-"_

_"-he's a lyin' backstabber that's just as bad as bloody pirate." Davy said with a bitter laugh, "He wants nothing more than to get to Lila-"_

_"-you're lying!"_

_"Believe what the bloody hell you want to believe! I'm tellin' ye the truth! I don't want our damned father's crown, Neptune. I told you that years ago! I don't want to be king! I have to live with the lie that I'm a damned prince every day of my life-" She heard a thump as he walked, probably the thump of his 'bad' leg. "-I'm not lyin'! I'm tellin' ya this because I fear every day I get more souls on the Dutchman that one of them will be her."_

_Her father fell silent. Both of them did. Lila sensed that the conversation was nearly over, so she started walking back up the stiars. Back inside Neptune didn't dare look at his brother as he said, "Do you know what that's like-"_

_"I-"_

_"No you bloody don't, and don't go sayin' that you do." Davy spat at him as he turned to stare at his older brother. Neptune stared over at the fire as another long silence filled the room. "She's not Amphitrite, Neptune. And it's time you realize that maybe this way...of protection isn't the best thing for her. Cutler Beckett want's our family's crown, and he's 'protecting' Lila as a way to get closer to it."_

_"You never say 'our family', Davy." Neptune said with a slight smile. Davy softened up a bit before he said, "Well, I'm not doing this for our father. I don't owe him a **damn** thing. You don't either. It's for our mother." Neptune nodded before saying, "I don't know if I believe-"_

_"Then don't." Davy said, getting up from his seat. "I just don't want to see my niece in my locker." And with that, Davy walked out of the room leaving Neptune in complete silence. Davy walked into Lila's room where she was fake sleeping. He sat down on her bed, and whispered, "Don't become your father."_

Jack was unusually quiet that day as they prepared for war. Guns were being brought out along with swords, cannons were being loaded. An eerie feeling washed over the Pearl that morning. He sighed as he leaned against the railing, looking down at his reflection in the water. A few minutes later, another reflection appeared beside him. For the slightlest moment, he thought...

...well, he thought it was his aunt...

"Are you alright, Jack?" Lila whispered as she came to stand beside him. Jack smiled at her as he brought her close to him, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his chest as he said, "I'm fine, love."

"No, you're not." Lila said, pulling her head off of Jack a minute later. "You're completley...sober..." Jack chuckled at that as he pulled her back to him and rested his head on hers. "Well, darlin'. You think it wise to get drunk before a war."

"Never stopped you before." Lila said with a smile as she turned around to face Jack. She saw a look in Jack's dark, chocolate eyes that she had rarely seen before. Maybe the last time that she had seen them like this was when her mother had just died. A look of, well, being scared. Jack was never scared, and that alarmed Lila. When Jack was scared, she knew that she had a right to be as well.

Jack was about to say something, but was cut off when Will materialized from nowhere causing Jack to nearly jump out of his boots. "Aw, bloody 'ell, Turner! Damn, mate. You don't have to bloody do that just because you can-" Will couldn't even hide his smile as Jack fell against the mast, panting to catch his breath.

"Sorry, Captain Sparrow-" He said, tossing Jack a sword. Which, Lila thought that was rather stupid on Will's part considering the way Jack was carrying on, it could have been a fatal move. The ageless captain immediatley snapped out of it and caught the sword as Will said, "-your father told me to inform you that we're making port."

"Oh." Was all Jack said as he put the sword in his belt. "Well, then I guess we shall be on our way, then. eh?" Will nodded, glancing over at Lila. The three of them made it to the longboats. Lila sat in between Jack and Will. Something about being between both of them calmed her a little bit. Probably the fact that she knew the two of them would keelhaul anyone that tried anything to her .

She closed her eyes, feeling Will's hand on her knee in a protective way. Once the three of them reached shore on the small Spanish island, they began walking down the path to meet the rest of their crews. Lila was silent. It wasn't like her to be scared, but she was. She was plenty scared. Looking at Jack and Will told her that they were too, and that fact didn't help her at all.

She looked down at her feet, her boots crunching beneath the wet rocks and sand that covered the ground. Will, who had been walking behind her, fell in step with her and took her hand. She smiled up at him, feeling a little better, but that feeling she had just wouldn't seem to go away...

They got to a deserted town. It looked as if it hadn't been used in a couple decades at the most. They silently walked thru broken irron gates into the cemetery. Lila's breath hitched when she saw it, "Jack-" She breathed. Jack stopped walking, and came to stand beside her. His face fell when he glanced down at the headstone

_Here Lies  
Amphitrite Sparrow-Parrish_

_Beloved Sister, Aunt, Mother and Wife.  
And Devoted Queen To Us All.  
May She Rest With God In Peace._

1515-1714

_"Two centuries of love, a century to__ sea..."_

Will felt Lila stiffen beside him, so he brought her close to him and allowed her to cry softly on his chest. He held her tightly as he glanced up at Jack who was tracing the sparrow in flight over a sunset that was engraved on her headstone. He pulled his sleeve up just barely to reveal the same sparrow on his arm. "Jack?" Will whispered, causing Jack to snap out of his little trance and look up at the younger captain. Jack gave a slight smile and a nod, before saying, "We should go-"

But as soon as he said that, a gun shot rang out from behind them. The trio turned to look in the direction that it was coming from, and saw an army of the red-coated Royal Navy walking down the hill. The three pirates took a step back, but Will whispered to Jack, "We're never going to make it out without-" Will glanced over at Jack, and said, "_Jack_!"

"Wha'?" Jack said as he pulled out his sword. Lila just stared at him as madly as she did when she figured out that he was entirely sober. "Mate, you said youself that we won't get out of this without fighting...well, most of us won't. Not all of us have our heart cut out of us...bloody fountain doesn't immune me from fatal blows to any part of my body..."

"Will, we have to." Lila said, taking her own sword out.

Will sighed as he pulled out his own, and looked as the army advanced on them. Will shrugged and said, "Take what you can..."

"...give nothing back." Lila said with a forced smile at the same time Jack said, "And hope the dear Lord will spare us..." Jack looked up, for want of a better direction as he whispered, "I am truly sorry for anythin' that I've done that was stupid..."

"We'll be fine." Will said, nodding. "We're pirates after all."

* * *

_**"...life's pretty good, and why wouldn't it be? I'm a pirate, after all..."**_

* * *


	20. Stuck Inn

Sorry for that suckalicious chapter! LOL! I had to end it fast because I was leaving, and that so wasn't where I wanted to end it! Here's the next update! Hope it will be better! Expect an update for Distressin' Damsel this weekend! Aren't you excited?  
This is another flashback. I know, I know. I do a lot of them.  
I was thinking of doing a complete prequel after I'm finished with this story,  
since Will/Lila/Jack have a lot of history together in the past.  
I'm not sure yet though.  
Flashback time!

Love you, darlings.  
-Captain Autumn

* * *

**-November 2, 1724-  
-London, England-**

_He wasn't dead...he wasn't dead! He hadn't died in the war. He wasn't dead..._

That's what Lila kept saying to herself as she paced back and forth on the dock. She pulled her coat tighter around her as snow began to fall softly. She looked out a minute later at the snowy horizon to see a ship sailing towards them. She squinted, but then she sighed out of when she saw those familiar black sails sailing to her. It seemed like it took years for the ship to finally reach the dock. When it did, he smiled as he took a rope and jumped down to the dock.

She felt a tear, cold down her cheeks since it was freezing, fall from her eyes as he stood in front of her. He smiled, as he pulled his own coat closer together, and said, "You don't know how happy I am to see you-" He never finished, because at that moment, Lila ran up to him and hugged him tightly as she cried. Jack smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of the head. Since their 'courting' the summer before, you would have thought that things would have been awkward, but they weren't. The two of them would always be close.

"Jack, they were saying that you were killed in the maelstrom-" Lila said, pulling back to look at him as tears rolled down her pretty face. He smiled down at her, as he took a thumb and wiped a few away as he said, "No. I'm alive and kickin', darlin'. Quite immortal, actually." Lila made a face, so Jack said with a smirk, "Fountain of Youth does wonders, doesn't it? Sent Barbossa on a wild goose chase, so I could take the Pearl and the Fountain...think he would have learned by now..." Jack paused for a thoughtful second, before saying, "Well, let's not wallow in Hector's stupidity-" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked down the icy docks.

"I don't know if you heard or not-" Jack started as they stopped in front of her mother's mansion that she had left to Lila. "-Davy...died." Lila stopped in her tracks, and whirled around to look at him. Jack was trying to find the words to speak, but not wanting to lie to her, he said, "I hate to be the one to tell you this, love, but I...did it-"

"You what?" Lila asked, pulling back to stare at him in disbelief. When he tried to reach out to her, she shook her head and pulled out of his reach. "Love, I had to-"

"-you didn't have to-"

"He killed Will." Jack said quickly, before Lila had a chance to speak. Lila's features softened. She never knew that Jack knew about Will. She certainly knew that Jack knew Will, but not that Jack knew about Will and herself. He knew that they grew up together...but judging from the way that Jack had just said that, she knew that Jack knew a lot more about the 'growing up' part.

"Will's dead?" Lila asked, feeling like she was about to collapse. Jack, instantly realizing what he had said, shook his head and said, "No, no. Darlin', I'm sorry. Bad choice of words..." Jack rolled his chocolate eyes, but softened his features as he walked over to Lila and put a hand on her back for support. She didn't push him away this time. "I had to kill him, because Davy stabbed Will. I led Will's hand to the heart and stabbed it for him-"

"Jack." Lila said, with a faint smile. Jack smiled back down at her, and said, "Darlin', I'm not as heartless as everyone makes dear ol' Jackie out to be, now am I?" He saw Lila's expression, and knew what she was wanting to ask. "He's married."

"To?"

"Elizabeth." Lila closed her eyes, wondering how Elizabeth could possibly live with herself. Lila knew it was coming, but Elizabeth had been like her sister...she knew that Lila was in love with Will. But that's why she left so that Will and Elizabeth could be together. She had done the right thing, but that didn't make it any easier. And then, for the third time, she started crying again.

"I thought that would happen." Jack said, really to himself more than Lila as he pulled her into his arms again. Jack rubbed her back, soothingly, as he began silently blowing snow flakes out of her curls. He sighed again as he said, "Let's go in 'fore we freeze, love." She nodded, still crying, but followed Jack in anyway.

"Lila-" Jack whispered to her that night, "-I didn't mean to upset you about Will. I just-"

"No, no, Jack." Lila said, bringing her eyes away from the fireplace to look up at Jack. He smiled slightly as he came to sit beside her. He allowed her to lean up against him when she did that. They were silent for a minute, before Lila said, "I thought you and Elizabeth-"

"No." Jack said, cutting her off. "No. We weren't anythin'. Never meant to be anythin'. It was good to stay like that." She could here the hurt in his voice as he said that. He was playing with one of her curls as she asked, "It was because of Will, wasn't it?" Jack didn't say anything, only sighed as she said with a smile, "You're not as heartless as everyone makes you out to be, Jackie."

"Alright, so the eunuch grew on me-" He smiled when he saw the look on Lila's face, and said, "Sorry."

"You weren't." Lila said to him with a smile before he said, "You look so much like your mother." She smiled as she rested her head against Jack again. And for once in a long time, she felt safe again...

But she would always feel safe in Jack's arms...

**-Present Day-  
-Somewhere Between Spain and Ship Wreck Cove-**

"I will never feel safe with you _ever_ again!" Lila panted as she looked angrily over at Jack. The tree of them made their way into a deserted inn. Will pushed a desk up against the door as Lila said in a perfect imitation of Jack, even getting his stagger down, "Oh, darlin'. These nasty little buggers are just like Cuttlefish-" Will started laughing as he looked over and saw the look on Jack's face.

Jack wrinkled his nose as he hopped up and sat on the front desk and said, "I never said that." Lila watched him in a mixture of amusement and anger as he twirled a feathered pen around in the air, but immediatley dropping it when he saw a rather large spider on it. He squished it as Lila screamed, "That's not the bloody point, Jack! The point is-"

"You don't have a point." Jack said, smirking as Will came to lean against the desk he was sitting on. "You don't have a-"

"Oh, heavens. Shoot me now." Lila said, dramatically as she collapsed on to a chair. Not seeing, or simply not caring about the enormous cloud of dust that came out of it when she did that. Will made a face when she said 'shoot me' and Jack bounced off of the desk and began closing the curtains on the windows. "I can't deal being locked up in a room with you-" Lila said, leaning up on her elbows.

"Well, darling. Until they leave, I think we're stuck in here." Lila looked up at Will and stared at him with a dreamy look on her face, causing Jack to make a disgusted grunt and say, "Bloody 'ell, if you two start-"

"Jack!"

"Lila!" He said, in a stubborn voice as he sat down on a tattered couch and propped his legs up on the coffee table in front of them, crossing them. Lila just stared at him, unable to find words to express what she really wanted to say to Jack. Will sighed as he walked over to the chair Lila was sitting in, and sat on the arm of it. That distracted Lila momentarily, before she said, "So, we're stuck in an inn while a bloody war is going on?" Jack nodded and she said, "This should be fun."

"Oh, it shall be." Jack said as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out Norrington's wig and placed it on his head. Lila began massaging her temples when he did that, and Will whispered to her, "I thought you threw that overboard?"

"I did. He jumped over at got it." Lila said, glancing up at Will. Will sighed and glanced back over at Jack who now placed the wig on his lap, and was examining it. After moments of staring at it, he said, "It needs a bath-"

"Jack! Get that dead animal out of my site before I burn it!" Lila spat at him when Jack walked over to her and started dangling it in her face. He made wounded face as he pulled it away and said, stroking it, "She didn't mean that Norrie."

"You named it?" Will asked. When Jack nodded, he asked, "Norrie?" Jack nodded again, causing Will to shut his mouth and glance over at Lila who was looking pretty murderous to say the least. But, instead of talking, she just took a deep breath and leaned back on the couch. When she closed her eyes, Jack sent Will a smile that let Will know Jack was doing all of this to annoy her.

"Norrie? Jack, honestly." Will said with a snort as Jack made his way back to the couch. Jack jumped on it extra hard so that more dust flew out of it and said, "Aye? Got a better name?"

Will smirked and offered, "Becky?"

"Speaking of which-" Lila said, opening her eyes again and leaning up out of her chair, "-what happened to him?"

"After you broke off your enagement you mean?" Will sighed when Jack said that. He knew that Jack was going to keep pushing it and pushing it until Lila snapped. And Will knew that Lila was getting ready to snap. Will's hand seemed to have a calming affect on her, since she froze when Will's hand appeared on her knee. Lila sighed, and leaned back in to Will who began twirling one of her curls around his finger...

It was about midnight. Will was still awake, and for some reason the army wasn't attacking them. Though they probably could sneak out of the inn, Jack and Will made a desicion to keep Lila safe. And that meant sticking it out in the inn for at least until they knew it was safer for them to make a run for it. They knew they couldn't keep her safe during this whole war. She was a pirate after all. But when they were targeting just her, they knew it would be better for her to be inside.

He glanced over at Jack who was asleep on the couch in front of them, clutching that damn wig. Will sighed at that, but looked down at Lila's head that was on his lap. He smiled down at her as he pushed some of her curls out of her face. Yes, he had asked her if she still wanted to get married, but he hadn't properly asked her. He was ready to move on and get married again...

He put his hand over hers, and new that she would be wearing his ring in a few days...he closed his eyes and...

* * *

**_-Will's Dream-  
-Elizabeth's Funeral-_**

_"Mate?" Will tore his eyes off of his wife's grave to see Jack walking towards him. Jack did something that took Will completely off guard, and hugged him. Will closed his eyes momentarily, and opened them when Jack pulled back and said, "I'm sorry."_

_"I am too." Will whispered as Jack gave his shoulder a pat before turning down to look at her grave as well. The grave was right beside William's. That killed him even more. Jack was silent for a minute, before he said, "She's here." The way that Jack said 'she' made him instantly know who she was. Will sighed, and asked, "Lila?"_

_"Yeah." Jack said, fiddling with one of the many trinkets in his black hair. He let the trinket fall to his shoulders again as he said, "She was upset. She really didn't want to come, but-...Elizabeth would have wanted her to. I knew you would." Will gave a faint smile at that, causing Jack to say, "I don't know if this the opportune moment to be sayin' this, but she's missed you, Will. All she talks 'bout."_

_Will closed his eyes, remembering Lila's pretty face. "I've missed her too." _

_He opened his eyes to look at Jack, who opened his mouth and said, "Darling? Will?"_

_"Jack?" Will asked, in shock..._

_

* * *

_

"Darling! Will?" He opened his eyes to see Lila looking down at him. She smiled and said, "Are you alright?" Will rubbed his eyes, and sat up on the chair. He looked over to see that Jack wasn't on his chair like he had been before. When Lila saw that, she smiled and said, as she sat down beside him, "Jack got smart and remembered that we were inside an inn. Which has beds."

Will smiled over at her when she said that, but stopped when he saw her smile. She was up to something. "Lila? What?"

"Nothing, darling." She said, turning completely around so that she was partly leaning on Will's lap. He stared at her for a momen before saying with a laugh, "Lila Parrish, what is it?"

"Nothing, Will." She said as she laid back so that her head was on Will's lap, and she was looking up at him with that same smile spread across her face. She laughed and said, "_Jack? I'm not your darling! My heart lies with Lila_!" Will's eyes got wide as she said that, causing her to burst out into laughter.

"What? What was I saying that?" Will asked as Lila laughed harder. She couldn't speak, so she just shook her head and continued laughing. Will gave up and ran his hand down her side until he found a ticklish spot. She started laughing harder and screamed, "WILL!" He laughed too as she rolled over, but stopped when the two of them fell of the chair and landed on the floor with a loud thud.

"OI! SHUT THE 'ELL UP!" Came Jack's angry voice from up the stairs. That made Lila temporarily forget the pain that was in her head after Will and her fell off. She laughed again, but stopped when she heard Jack make mumbling sounds from up the stairs. She smiled over at Will and said, "It was funny."

"I don't think so."

"Well, I do." Lila said, leaning over and kissing him. After about a minute or two, she pulled back and said with a smile. "You know what I was thinking about?" She laid her head on his chest as he asked, "What were you thinking about, Princess?"

She smiled and said, "Remember when you said that you would never cut your heart out for anyone? And that you didn't believe that it could be done?" She rolled over to look into his face as she said that, "Kind of ironic, isn't it?" He smiled as he pushed her curls out of her face and said, "I suppose so." He pulled her ack down and kissed her again...

A loud bang came from the door causing Lila to jump off of Will and hit her head again. "Damn it!" Lila cursed as she put her hands to her head. Will got up and stared at the door for a minute before saying, "I don't think that was Jack."

"What gave you the first clue?" Came a grumpy voice from the stairs. The two of them turned to see Jack walking down the stairs, clearly not being a morning person. His scars were visible, since he had taken his shirt off. His trinkets jingled as he walked to one of the doors and waited for a minute before a loud voice yelled, "Let me in!"

Jack looked back at Will, who was helping Lila off of the ground and said as he pulled out his sword, "Ready?" Will nodded and pulled out his own as Jack said,"1..." Will gently pushed Lila behind him before Jack said:

"...2..."

Jach nodded at Will, and they both cried, "3!" And they opened the door...

* * *


	21. I'll Still Love You Forever

**OK, so I was going to ask this. Does anyone want me to write a prequel to this story? There's a lot of history with Will/Lila/Jack, so I was thinking of doing a prequel as opposed to a sequel. Tell me what you think!**

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL?!!" Rupert screamed when Jack and Will lundged at him. Will fell back when he realized who it was, but Jack didn't. Jack wasn't paying attention what so ever. Jack tackled Rupert to the ground and held his sword at his throat, "I'm sorry, mate. But you want the Princess, you're goin' to have to go thru-" Jack blinked and asked, "Reginald?" 

Jack rolled off of the poor man when Will poked him in the back with his sword. Will helped pull Rupert up, who was breathing rather heavily, as he said, "Bloody hell, Jack! What were you trying to do? Kill me?" Rupert was panting as Will allowed to lean on him for support. Will glanced down at Rupert's now swollen leg, and said, "Well, I think your leg's broken-"

Jack smirked as he put his sword back in his belt and walked back into the inn. Will wrapped his arm around Rupert's waist so that he could limp in to the inn. When he got inside, Jack pushed the desk back against the door and stood with his arms crossed, leaning against it. Will took Rupert to one of the chairs, and he looked around at the three of them. Lila blushed scarlet when she realized what this all looked like. Will and Jack shirtless, her on the ground...

"Did I..._interrupt _anything?" He asked, his voice raising a few octaves. Jack smirked again as he glanced down at Lila who gave him a warning look before he said anything he would regret later. Jack just laughed to himself as Lila cleared her throat, and walked over to sit in the corner of the room. Away from them...

"What are you doing here, Rupert? I thought that you left with Grant." Will said as he came to sit beside Rupert who was now wrapping his swollen leg up. Rupert stopped for a moment, before he looked up at Will and said, "I did. I got seperated by the swamp lands just a little ways down from here. A battle broke out...a lot of your men were killed..." He added, looking at Jack and Will both. That wiped the smirk clean off of Jack's face as he walked over to them and asked, "How many?"

"I don't know. I couldn't see anything. Clouds of smoke...it was awful...Neptune's here though. I saw him." All three of the men glanced over at Lila when Rupert said that. Lila looked up from the curl that she had been examining, and said, "_What_?" Will shook his head and turned back to Rupert, "What about Beckett?"

"Yeah." Rupert said with a groan as he rested his leg on the coffee table. "He is. The whole bloody lot of them. I swear to you, it was like a Beckett family reuinon or something." Jack came to sit on the coffee table, bumping into Rupert's leg as he did so. Rupert let out a cry of pain, causing Jack to smirk and say, "Sorry, Ronald."

"Wait-" Lila said, making the clearly annoyed Rupert tear his eyes off of Jack and look over at her. Jack looked behind him in surprise as if he had just remembered that she was in here. "-you said a lot of the men were killed...what about the girls?"

Rupert's face fell when she asked that. Seeing this, Will got up and walked over to Lila because he had a pretty good idea as to what was going to be said. "Lila, Bella was taken by Beckett. I don't know if she was...I think she's-" He didn't have to finish that sentencee, because Lila had already broken in to tears. Will assumed the role he knew he was going to have to assume, and brought her into his arms.

"Bella?" Jack whispered, in shock as he glanced over at Rupert. "I told her to stay on the ship!"

"She didn't." Rupert said, quietly stating the obvious. The room was silent for a minute. The only sound was Lila quietly crying in the corner. Will brought her down on his lap, and let her cry on his shoulder as he asked Rupert, "What about the others?"

"I don't know. Last I saw of Grant, he and Bill were in the middle of it all-" Jack and Will exchanged glances at that one. Jack had an unreadable look on her face as he and Will just stared at each other for a minute. Jack looked down after a while, and said to Rupert, "Which way did those buggers go?"

"Beckett's men went east. I don't what's there, but after they saw that they were clearly outnumbered by both us and Neptune's army, they retreated with a few captives from both sides. I don't where Neptune's men are. The lot of us were only fighting to run away." Jack gave a small laugh at that statement, only to look up at Will again. A silent question was passed between them. Taking his eyes off of Jack, Will turned to Rupert and asked it, "How safe is..." Will trailed off and nodded down to Lila. Jack turned to Rupert and waited for him to answer.

"Will, being honest?" Rupert asked, in a worried voice as he pushed a strand of his red hair out of his face. "Not very much..." He stopped when Lila's head came up from Will's shoulder. Lila looked up at Rupert with her sparkling green eyes as tears continued to fall freely down her cheeks she said, "I can hear it."

"Lila-"

"Will, I can bloody hear it, alright?" All three of them were taken back by her tone of voice. Sure, Jack had heard her use it on him quiet often, but she never raised her voice to Will. Sighing, she said in a softer tone, "My best friend is probably dead or dying in the hands of Satan and I'm probably the most hunted person in the Caribbeans. I can handle it."

Rupert looked up at Will as if asking him if he could go on. Will just nodded and kept his arms tightly around Lila as Rupert started, "Beckett wants nothing more than to kill her. I heard them while they were taking Bella...that's why she was ...taken... he got her and asked her where Lila was. She wouldn't answer so he..." Lila closed her eyes as he trailed off, and rested her head against Will's chest.

"...he's planning to kill your father." Rupert said, quietly, only to which Lila nodded all knowing. Will rubbed her back in a soothing manner, which scarily reminded her of the way Jack did it, and asked him, "How much time do we have?"

"Before they find us?" Will nodded, and Rupert said, "Dunno. Not very long I'd say."

"Why are we waiting then?" Lila asked, wiping her tears. "I'm a so bloody tired of us waiting for them to come to us. We need to go out and find them-"

"Lila-"

"-no, Will. Don't, alright. Don't. I don't want to hear you giving me 30 million damn reasons why I shouldn't be out there fighting. I can handle it. Stop acting like my father." Will got up from his seat and stood up so that Will and Lila were almost nose to nose. Jack clicked his tongue, and leaned back with a sigh, knowing what was about to happen.

"I'm not acting like your father, Lila. I'm doing what's best for you-"

"-what? Sitting here like a bloody sitting duck waiting to be shot?" Lila laughed bitterly as she said, "Sorry, Captain. That's not exactly my cup of tea-"

"-oh, I am_ so_ sorry. I guess your cup of tea is walking on to death's doorstep? Wonderful idea, darling. Just brilliant-"

"-why do you do this to me? Everything I do never pleases you-"

"-I _never_ bloody said that, Lila. When it's not completely stupid, it does please me. But most of the time it's stupid-"

"-what the_ hell_ are you afraid of, Will-"

"-I'm afraid of losing you." The whole room went silent. Lila's face fell, and all of the anger flooded from her face as she just stared at him. Unable to speak, she just stared into the face of the man she had loved since she was just a child. "I'm not going thru that again, Lila. Don't you_ ever_ make me go thru losing someone again-" Lila felt a tear roll down her cheek. For once, Will didn't go to her. He just stood there as more tears rolled down her tanned cheeks. It was like Jack and Rupert weren't there...only them. Only them and everything thier pasts...both good and bad.

Lila wordlessly left the room and ran up the stairs. Will sighed and closed his eyes as he fell back into the chair. Jack and Rupert exchanged glances, and for once in his life, Jack realized that this was one of those times his father had always told him to come. One of those times to hold his tongue and resist the urge to say something stupid and worthless. Jack clicked his tongue again, much to Rupert's annoyance, and said, "Well..."

Will took his head out of his hands to look at Jack who was just staring at him with a look he hadn't seen in a while. "I think you handled that quite nicely actually, Will..." He made a face, then said in a different tone of voice, "You want me to go talk to her?"

"Jack, what are you going to say to her?" Will asked, in a toneless voice. Jack figured that that was another time to hold his tongue, and not literally like he did when he was a little boy. He just played with one of his trinkets, and said, "Well, we've all 'ad a bit o' a rough night, aye? What say we turn in?" Jack nodded slightly at Rupert, never having apologized to him for his leg. He smiled at Will and gave his shoulder a pat before walking back up the stairs.

Will glanced over at Rupert, who read his expression, and said, "I'll be fine down here, Will. 'Night." Will forced a smile, before walking up the stairs himself. For it being so deserted for a long time, it was actually very nice. He walked down the hall, and stopped when he came to a room with the door closed, and a light seeping thru the bottom of the closed door. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before he moved to go open it. But he stopped when he realized someone had gotten there first.

"Darlin', you've got to take it easy..." He heard Jack say in a soothing, calming voice that Will knew if Jack knew someone was hearing him use it, their head wouldn't be on their head much longer. "...he's been thru a lot, is all. 'S just hard for him is all."

"I know that-" He heard Lila's shaky voice call out a minute later. She was silent for a minute, as Jack made 'shh' noises, but in a comforting way. "-I just...I'm not_ her_-"

Inside her room, Jack laughed as he pushed away one of her golden-brown curls and said, "Darlin', why on earth would that matter to him? You're not Lizzie-" She looked up at him as he said that, he smiled, "-and tha' doesn't matter to him at all-"

Lila stared at the candle, watching the flames dance, before she looked back into the eyes of the infamous captain. She was quiet proud of him. He had been sober for the past few days. Quite a feat for Jack Sparrow, "I just think it does."

"Love, the past is the past-" He said, somewhat stating the obvious as he pulled her to him. She laid against him as he said, "-there be no reason in goin' back to somethin' in the past that's already passed ye. What's the sense in that? You can't go back, so don't try to-"

"-I'm not trying to-"

"Lila, darlin'. I know you well. And the thing tha' I know well enough about you is tha' you're a liar." She smiled at that, giving Jack the reaction that he wanted. "And I know when you're lyin', and you're lyin' now. Don't try and go back. I've done tha', love. It's madness. It'll be the death of you-"

"-before a Kraken."

"Funny." Jack said, shooting her a glare causing her to smile again. "Really funny." He gently pushed her back against the bed, and pulled the covers up over her, before saying, "Don't even compare youself to her 'gain, alright? There's no reason to." She smiled faintly as he leaned down and kissed her forhead. He smiled as he blew out the candle, and walked to the door. He turned around to see that she was already asleep. As he opened the door, he said with a smirk, "Fancy seeing you here, William."

His smirk turned into a golden-toothed smile when he saw Will's shocked expression. Will was already across the hall, but he knew with one look over at Jack that he wasn't getting out of this one. He rolled his eyes and made his way back over to Jack who was waiting patiently for him. "What 'ave I told you?" Will just stared at Jack like he had gotten even crazier. Jack, on the other hand, was staring at him like he had forgotten to say 'Captain' Jack Sparrow, "About ye heart-"

"-not to give it to Barbosa-"

"Well, why would you?" Jack asked in an annoyed voice. He moved his hands in a weird fashion as he swatting a fly, and said, "The other thing tha' I told you, mate. The other thing." Will just stood there for a moment, trying to figure it out. Jack sighed and gave him a look that Lila gave him on a regular basis, "If you chose to lock it up-"

"-you'll lose it for certain." Jack clicked his tongue again as Will finished that sentence for him. The tongue clicking was getting annoying, but Will chose not to say anything about it. Jack leaned closer to him, surprisingly not smelling of rum, and said, "What are you doin'?"

"Locking it up."

"Where has that gotten you before?" Will just stared down at Jack, being a good inch or two shorter than the older captain. He had always found that funny, in a way. Jack gave him a slight nod and said, "I know where it got me...'night, William." And before he got a chance to ask Jack what he had been talking about, though he felt he knew, Jack was already shutting the door to the room beside him.

Will closed his eyes and put a hand against Lila's door, before walking in the other direction.

He couldn't get to bed that night. Not right away, because when all he heard was her...it was hard to...

* * *

_-Will's Dream-  
-Sometime in 1721-_

"Lila!" Will whined as he followed her down the beach. She turned around and flashed him a smile that he melted at everytime he saw it. She turned back around, and continued walking down the shorelines. Realizing he wasn't going to win, he smiled and ran to catch up with her. "Might I ask what has put you in such a fine mood, Princess?"

She whirled around so that she was looking him in the eye and said with a playful smirk, "No, you may not." He looked confused, causing her to laugh as she leaned up and kissed him softly. Somehow or another, they ended up laying on the beach, Lila in Will's arms, and Will playing with one of her curls like he usually did as a sort of habit, almost.

She smiled up at him, causing him to as well and ask, "What?"

"You promise to love me forever, right?" Will gave a slight chuckle at her answer and said, "Of course. Until I die...and then I'll take my love for you down to the grave, how about that?" She smiled at him as she said, "What if you never die?"

Will looked puzzled at her question, slighty taken back that she would ask such a ridiculous question as that one. But after he got over it, he smiled down at her, laying a kiss on her forhead and said, "Then, I'll still love you forever..."

* * *

**Neptunes War  
_Day Two  
_  
Coming soon!**


	22. Daughter

* * *

**"_...one word, love. Curiousity...you're going to want it...and one day, you won't be able to resist..."_**

* * *

_"Will..." She whispered against his neck, sending a smell of rum strongly into his nose...  
He knew this was wrong. He knew it. But the rum wasn't letting him think like that.  
He pushed her up against the wall, and kissed her hard._

_When he felt her hands go underneath his shirt, he said, "Lila, you're drunk. We both are...we need to-"  
But when he saw her face...her pretty perfect face...all the sense was knocked out of him..._

**Neptune's War****  
Day Two**

He glanced up when she walked in the room. She pulled her long brown, sun-kissed ringlets back with a bright red cloth and bounced off of the stairs. He lowered his eyes back down to the compass that was in front of him, watching him spin madly as if it couldn't find what it was looking for. He pushed a strand of his dark hair out of his eyes, as he raised his eyes back up to the Princess that was walking into the room. She stopped when she was in front of him and smiled at him as she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Not a thing." He replied, closing the compass and pushing it across the bar. He stared at her for a minute. She lowered her jade eyes as if she was trying to read him. As if she had some idea as to what he was thinking. After a minute, she just shook her head and smiled back up at him. That caused him to smile as she sat on the barstool in front of him. Fancy having a bar in the inn. It was a dream for a certain pirate captain that was forced to stay there. Where, of course, he spent most of his time.

She took the glass that he had just given her and asked, "What's wrong, Jackie? You haven't been yourself lately." She took a finger and traced the outline of the frosty glass. He watched her do that, but quickly dropped his gaze back to his own rum glass. He could feel her gaze linger on him, expecting an answer. Sighing, before he raised his glass to his lips, he said, "The war, I guess, love."

"Liar." Was her reply. That made him bring his gaze up, and say, "Sticks and stones, love." She smiled at that, then looked back down at her glass, watching the bubbles float up to the top of it. She still hadn't taken a drink of it for some reason, and the face that she had on her pretty, tanned face was enough to let Jack know something was wrong. "What's wrong with you, darlin'?"

"Nothing." She whispered, finally bringing her glass to her lips and taking a rather big sip, much to Jack's relief. He smirked as she set it back down and said in a teasing voice, "I see that there is, judgin' by that huge drink you just took." He leaned on the bar as if he was the bartender trying to pick up some Tortuga wench as he flashed a golden-tooth grin and said, "Care to enlighten ol' Jack?"

"Not really." Lila said, flicking rum on him. He pouted as he took a finger and wiped it off of his nose as Lila said with a smile, "What? Your sense of the female creature informing you that something's wrong with me, eh?"

"No. Not really, love." Jack said, leaning back on the bar again. "I was just wonderin' is all. I know you better than you think." Lila snorted at the irony of that statement. He smiled to as he took another drink, and she said, "You ever been in love, Jackie?"

"Shouldn't you know?" He asked with a snort. She rolled her green eyes, but only smiled up at him as she asked, "I'm being serious."

"So was I." He replied, cooly. He smiled at her and said, "Yes, I do believe that I have, dearie." That made Lila look up at him. She stared at him for a long, long time before she finally managed to ask him, "Was it_ her_?"

Jack's smile was wiped off of his handsome face. He sighed as he pulled a stool around for himself, and sat there for a moment before answering her. He didn't look at her, he only stared at the glass as Lila did only moments earlier, "Wouldn't say it was love, darlin'."

"What would you say it was, then?"

"Lust." Jack said with a slight sigh, knowing that it wasn't the truth. "Actually...I was going to talk to you about something..." Lila glanced up and looked at him with a shocked look on her pretty face. "..if Bella makes it out-"

"AHHH! I knew it! You fancy Bel-ah!" He covered her mouth quickly, as if someone was outside the door and brought her face close to his in and whispered harshly, "Shhhh!"

"Jack, I think it's sweet." Lila said, when she managed to push his hand away. Their gazes locked for a moment. Something passed between then, neither of them knew what it was, but something passed between them...regardless of what it was, and what it had been because of, they broke their glances for a minute, before Jack said with a smile, "There wasn't any rum in that, you know."

"What are you talking about?" Lila asked, looking up at Jack with a scared look on her face. He smiled as he pushed one of the glasses back to her and said, leaning against the bar. A weird look spread across her face as she stared up at him in shock and whispered, "Jack...how...what are you-"

"Will told me about what happened a few weeks ago in Tortuga between the two of you-"

"HE DID WHAT?"

"-now, now. I know that Master Turner is a respectable young man, and having courted you in years past, I should say the same of you...just you are in fact a woman." Jack smile sort of faded, "Felt awful, he did. Sayin' that ye both had way too much rum...looked bloody awful, and felt it too. Have you told him-"

"How did you know, Jack?" Lila asked in a whisper, causing Jack to smile.

"I don't know a lot about everythin', but the part I know a lot about somethin' is about that." When Lila raised an eyebrow, he said in a different voice, "I was with Elizabeth when she found out. I was with her thru the whole time, right until the end. Do you know for certain?" His dark eyes met hers in a gaze before she shook her head and said, "No. But, I think so-"

"-why do you think so-"

"Bloody hell, Jack!" Lila said, putting her non-rum drink down on the bar and staring up at him with an angry. "I'm not telling you how I know! I've talked to you about crazy stuff before, but not that..." Lila paused and looked down at the drink as she said in a sad and confused voice, "It wasn't suppossed to happen like this, Jack." He hinted the sadness in her voice.

"Wha'? Didn't wait for marriage...darlin', I know that's what you wanted. Believe me, I do." Jack smiled at that, and said, "But you made a mistake." Jack pushed a curl out of her face to see that she was crying silently. It was really bothering her. "You both made a mistake. At least it was with someone you loved." Lila met Jack's eyes again. She was about to ask him what he meant, but at that moment, Will opened the door and said, "Jack, I-"

He paused when he saw Lila and Jack, and said, "-thought I'd find you here...what's going on?" Lila closed her eyes as Jack patted the bar and beamed up at the younger captain as he said, "Nothin', mate. Just talkin' is all...Reginald and I have decided to leave at noon, which is in a few short moments...so-" He got up from the bar and gave Lila a wink, "I'll be going then. You two need to talk."

Jack gave Will's shoulder a pat, before he exited. Will looked over at Lila. The two of them just stared at each other for a long time, before Will finally said, "I'm sorry about last night." Will carefully walked over to Lila as if he was scared that she was going to chop his head off or something. When he realized that she wasn't, he came to stand beside where she sat.

"Will, are you upset with me?"

"Darling, why would I be upset with you?" Will said in a loving voice as he put a hand on her back. "Love, you have never given me any reason to be mad at you. No reason-" He gently turned her around so that he could look into her tear filled eyes. When he saw the gleam in her piercing eyes, he instantly knew. "This is about Elizabeth, isn't it?"

"I'm not her-" Lila started before she let more tears fall down her cheek. Will closed his brown eyes, and pulled Lila close to him as he whispered, "Darling, I don't want you to be her. I don't wnat you to be her. You're you. And I don't want you to ever think that I want you to be Elizabet, Li..." He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "You were my first love, Lila. You. You're not Elizabeth, and maybe that's what I love about you. You're the total opposite..." She looked up into his eyes to see if he was telling the truth. She smiled when she realized that he was and said, "Will, I need to talk to you about something-"

"We're leaving-" Came Rupert's voice from the bar's door. Will turned around and gave him a look as if to say 'give us a minute'. Rupert took that look, and nodded leaving Will alone with Lila once more. Will turned around to look at the girl he loved and said, "Darling, what did you need to tell me?"

"Oh..." Lila had lost her nerve as she said, "Nothing. Just, I love you." Will knew that's not what she was going to say, but he also knew that she wasn't lying either. Half disappointed, he smiled and said, "I love you too." She smiled as he leaned over and kissed her briefly before Jack's angry voice called out, "Oi! Let's get a move on!"

When Will and Lila emerged hand in hand, Jack's eyes flashed briefly, taking Lila back a little. He shook his head and whispered so that only Lila could here, "I take it you didn't tell him?"

"I take it that I don't have to tell you not to tell him until I do." Lila shot back at him, as Will continued to pull her in the direction of the cave. Jack rolled his chocolate eyes, and pulled out his compass. When it landed on..that...he shook it once and let it land again. "Bloody hell..." He spat at it before shoving it back into his belt.

"Where are we going exactly?" Lila asked, still holding Will's hand. Will turned back to look at Jack who was mumbling something under his breath. Will wrinkled his nose and said to his friend, "Jack, mate. You alright?"

"Wha'?" Jack asked, clearly taken back just because he was so deep in thought about something. Jack nodded when he saw Will's confused face turn to one of concern. Jack tried to flash a reassuring smile at his former first mate, and said, " 'Course I am, William." Will just stared at him a minute longer, before turning back down to Lila. Lila wasn't looking at either one of them...she just had a rather distant look on her face. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Will asked looking from Lila to Jack.

"Nothing." They both said at the same time, causing Rupert to laugh as he limped up to meet them. Using a long piece of wood to lean his weight on, he came to stand beside the trio, who had since then, stopped was just staring at each other. Rupert limped between them and said, "There's going to be much more time for tension after this bloody war is over with. Come on."

Jack and Will stared at each other, Will feeling like they were about to go thru another fight over a girl and Jack feeling...well, something he wasn't very sure of. Poor Lila was just confused and really wishing that she could shoot someone and get it over with. Jack nodded and said, "We're headin' in the direction that Beckett took Miss Bella-"

"-she's not dead?" Lila asked, hopefully.

"I don't know. But we won't know 'till we look, aye?" He gave the two of them a slight nod, before following Rupert down the path. Will sighed as he took Lila's hand again, wondering what was bothering her...and knowing that he probably wasn't going to get it our of her anytime soon...

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS, YOU DAMNED WENCH!" Andrew slapped Bella hard across the face. So hard, in fact, had she not been tied up, she would have probably fallen backwards. For that, she was grateful. But only for a moment. Tears were running down her pale, yet pretty face as she cried, "I told you! I don't know where they're at!"

"LIES!" Andrew spat, pulling her close. "Tell me, or I swear to you, her death will be yours. Where is she?" Bella didn't speak, she only stared up at her soon-to-possibly-be-killer. She didn't speak, she didn't breath, she didn't move. Only stared in horror as Andrew raised his sword. She closed her eyes tightly as she prepared for the sword to pierce her, but it never did.

"That will be quite enough, Andrew." Came a chilling voice from behind them. Bella didn't have to, even if she could, turn around because she knew who that was. The man who swore to be Lila's protector years ago, only to get the crown himself by killing Lila and Neptune. The man who's ship was blown up by Jack and Will years ago... The man who's skull Jack had kept...the man who's voice would send chills down anyone spines. Even the spine of his...

"Daughter."

* * *

**Neptune's War  
_Night 2_**

Coming soon.  



	23. What Love Can Do

**_Authors Note: _The Saphira in this story has nothing to do with Michelle or any of the two stories she's in. I'm just writing her in for a friend of mine! So this Saphira IS NOT Michelle. Just wanted to clear that up, loves. Enjoy.**

* * *

_"...The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do..."_

* * *

**_What Will Happen_**

Fire was consuming the island as he looked out at the three sides of the war, finally coming together for one last epic battle. The battle that would decided this: Would Neptune once again come out on top? Or would pirates rule the seas? Or maybe, would the EITC come back stronger than it ever was? Or maybe, just maybe...

"Sir?" He brought his eyes off of the flames that he was staring at thru the window, and turned to see the young man walking inside. "He's here...do you want me to...send him-" A small smile crept across the other man's lips as he said, "I'll see him myself." The young man was trembling from the sound of his leader's voice. It was enough to send chills down anyone's spine. The young man nodded slowly, then said quickly, "He's in the-"

But the older man had already pushed him aside and began walking down the stairs. Another smile crept across his face as he walked down the staircase. He was going to win. Well, he had already won actually. There was no way that anyone could get in the way of his perfect plan now. They were broken up. They doubted each other. They were seperated. They had no one to turn to now. No one. He made sure of that. A laugh now escaped his lips as he got to his destanation. The man they captured was tied up to a chair. Breathing heavily, his dark eyes were immediatley filled up with rage only making his captor smile even more, if that was even possible.

"You're betrayl, sadly enough, was your downfall." He poured his captive some tea to which the captive only scowled causing him to laugh and say, "And hers as well...Her death is _your _fault."

* * *

_**Three Days Earlier  
**_

* * *

"I think you're lying to me, Jack." Lila whispered to him as they made their way into the city that scarily reminded them all Port Royal. Will sighed uncomfortably as he kept his distance from Lila and Jack. He knew that they had things they needed to talk over. Things that, for the sake of his relationships with both Lila and Jack, he decided he needed to back away from those topics altogether. 

"About what, darlin'? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, need I remind you-" He added with a smile when he saw the smile spread across her face. "-I'm capable of anythin' and most eveythin' and honestly to dishonest, lying is a strong point of mine."

"I don't think you're really in love with Bella...I think that you're lying to me to just so I won't think anything. Jack, darling, I don't see why on earth you suspect Will of talking about you behind your back like that. He doesn't suspect anything at all, yet. And I would quite like to keep it that way for as long as I possibly can. Tell me the truth, Jackie."

"Unless of course I told you the truth because I knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if I told it to you-"

"-you would have not told me the truth to make me believe that you were telling the truth until I realized that it had to not be the truth because I wouldn't have believed it to be the truth even if you told it to me." Lila smiled as she finished that sentence. She prided herself in being the only person (besides Grant of course) that could actually out-witty the witty Captain Jack Sparrow. He rolled his eyes as she let out a chuckle, and said, "I was lyin'."

"The truth is revealed." Lila said, with a playful push. "Jack, I know you didn't lie about that for me...because I know that you know that I would never believe William Turner on anything...you know that I would always believe you no matter what, even if said Captain of the Flying Dutchman told me otherwise." The smile was wiped off of her face as she said, "This is about us, isn't it?"

"No."

"Liar."

Jack resisted the urge to say his trademark 'sticks and stones, love' and settled for a sigh as he watched Will and Rupert walk ahead of him. A moment later, he felt Lila's hand in his own. Shocked, he turned around to look down at her as she said, "Jack. Will does suspect something. Yeah, I know. I lied before. I must have also inherited the 'Sparrow Lying Gene' so sorry." Jack smiled at that, but let her continue, "You're a liar. I know you are. Will's a bloody liar too when he wants to be. But I know you. And I know deep inside that cold, backstabbing pirate of you, there's a good man. And he'll come out one day. Again." She added with a smile.

"Jack, what I'm trying to say is...don't think that Will's the only pirate I trust. I trust you. I believe you. And I know that you're not in love with me anymore. And even if you were, you wouldn't get in the way because of Will just like you did with Elizabeth. Kiss aside, because that was her doing, not yours." She added that last statement for Jack's sake. She leaned up and kissed Jack's cheek, before turning on her heels and going after Will.

Will smiled down at her when she came up to him, and his arm immediatley went around her waist. Jack soon emerged beside his former first mate as he said, "William, do you remember a girl by the name o' Isabelle? Wasn't her real name. People in Spain called 'er Carmen. People in Singapore called her Ming and in-"'

Rupert stared at Jack as if he wanted nothing more than to take his wooden crutch and hit him hard with it. A few things factored into why he did not do just that: Rupert would fall; it wouldn't do a thing because Jack would keep on going anyway, they couldn't have Jack knocked out being leader and because...well, it would be rather pointless.

"Jade?" Will asked, wrinkling his nose causing Lila to laugh. He immediatley unwrinkled it and said, "No. That's what they called her-"

"-in London, yes. Real name's Saphira." Jack said, motioning for the three of them to follow him further into the town. Lila sped up so that she fell in step with both Jack and Will as Jack continued his, what would probably be, a very long explanation. "Met 'er in London, I did. Father's a very respected man in London-"

Lila realized something, "-wait is this the same Saphira I'm thinking of?" Will smiled at Jack's reaction to her question. Jack hated it when people interrupted him. And Lila tended to do that often. More often then Will knew anyone would do. He knew that she normally did it just to get a rise out of Jack, but this time her question was geunine. "-the one that helps pirates? Goes around with her dad secretly going behind his back with different aliases as an aid to pirates? That Saphira?"

"Yes." Jack said, mad because his expanation was already explained and not by him. "The same Saphira you went around with and threw all my bloody clothes in the bloody ocean._ That_ Saphira." Will looked back to see Lila smirking, but she didn't say anything. "Her father is fightin' in this war. Somehow or another by some miracle, she tagged along and is stayin' 'ere. Said she has a lot of information-"

"-seems like you two have been talking quite a bit lately, _Jackie."_ She said 'Jackie' in a teasing voice, causing Jack to wirl around and stick a finger in her face. She raised an eyebrow, and just stared at him for a long time. He closed his mouth and turned rather quickly on his heels as he began to walk down the streets once more.

"Jackie!" She cried when she saw him, running into his arms. Will was trying his hardest not to laugh, but he was failing despite the look that Lila had on her face. Will took Saphira in at that moment...her long dark, curly hair falling gracefully at her waist and those dark eyes that would have been black had they not almost sparkled with a shade of brown.

Will wasn't sure what to think of her. He glanced down at Lila and knew what to think. Beautiful. When anyone said Lila's name, that's what he instantly thought. But Saphira? Beautiful just wasn't the word. Not saying that she wasn't attractive, she was. But not beautiful. Her charm, soft features and her sometimes child-like ways instantly labled her as just flat out being adorable.

"Darlin', 'ow long 'as it been?" Jack said, not letting go of her. Will raised his eyebrow at this, and glanced down at Lila who was already in a quiet fit of laughter. Will, as usual, couldn't stand to look at the expression Lila had on her face for more than a few seconds before he started laughing himself. Which, of course made Lila laugh harder and Rupert to get even more annoyed, which for a moment was thought to be impossible.

Their laughter made Saphira and Jack break away and turn to look behind them. Jack's scowl went unnoticed only by Saphira, as she said, "Lila? Lila Parrish?"

"In the flesh, love." Lila said, going up and hugging her. Saphira smiled as she hugged her back, while Jack made a rather mean face behind Lila's back, causing Will to give him a warning glance. When the two girls broke apart, Saphira glanced behind Lila to see Will who came up and hugged her himself. After he hugged her, her took Lila's hand causing Saphira to gasp and say, "Are you two-"

"-we 'ave a lot of catchin' up to do, darlin'." Jack said, ushering Saphira into her house. Lila snorted as she whispered, "I bet you do." Will started laughing, only to earn another glare (to which Will returned.)

"This is going to be interesting. I can already tell..." Rupert groaned as he followed them in.

"_His daughter_?" Lila and Jack pratcially screamed at the same time. Will thought Lila looked as if she was going to faint, so he walked up behind her and pushed her and gently pushed her into the seat. She never took her eyes off of Saphira as her jaw dropped. Will and Rupert looked across the table to see Jack had a scarily similar look on his face. Jack recovered first, as he asked, "Daughter?"

Will rolled his hazel eyes at that question, as if it hadn't been established moments ago. Saphira only nodded as she played with one of her long curls. She let it fall down to her shoulders as she said, "Yes. That's why Beckett captured her. I don't know if she's working for him or not, but she's definetley his daughter-"

"-how did you find this out, Miss Dawson?" Rupert asked her, looking up from his cup of tea. Saphira's gaze lingered on him, unknowingly, for more than it should have before she said with a smile, "I have my ways."

Will smiled slightly at that. Coming from someone like Saphira, he came out sounding cute and innoccent. That was just how she was. But had Lila said that, Will knew for a fact that it would have one hundred percent most likely came out sounding seductive. That was just how Lila was. Will knew that wasn't on her own free will. Somehow she had just adopted that way. And gentleman though he was, Will couldn't say he actually minded.

Lila sighed, obviously recovered, as she looked down at Will's hand that was resting on her knee. He had did that unknowingly, and still apparently didn't know it was there. "I guess my question is..._how_?"

Jack snorted at that, only to have Lila kick him under the table. Saphira didn't catch on to this, and only said, "Well, it had something to do with Beckett having a deal with Calypso before the war against the EITC back all those years ago." Lila shuddered at the thought when she remembered Jack to be dead, only to find out that her uncle was dead, Will had died and was married to Elizabeth. Will glanced down at Lila and recognized that look. The look she had on her face when Elizabeth or their pasts came up. He just rubbed her knee soothingly and smiled down at her, hoping that that was enough.

"It was something like Beckett promised to set her free if she made him and his family immortal. When she found out that he was lying, she couldn't completely take her charm off so made it that if they were killed that they'd spend a century in death only to come back again one hundred years later. Arabella never was killed, Beckett was. So, that's how she was hear. And no, Andrew's not her child."

Will smirked when Lila's confused face suddenly became normal again. She leaned slightly into him, causing his free arm to wrap around her shoulders. Saphira looked back at Jack who was looking slightly confused. He was wearing a similar expression that Lila had just had on her face. Will looked down at Lila and knew something else was bothering her. It wasn't talk of the war and memories of their past, it wasn't Jack or Bella...it was something else. And the only thing that he could think of it being was ...that night in Tortuga.

Will sighed as she took his key and moved it back and forth on the chain that held it around her neck. "Well, Saph. If that's all you have to tell us right now, can you excuse Lila and me for a moment?" All eyes fell on Lila who's own eyes went as wide as the tea cups they had been drinking out of. She had no time to accept nor deny, because Will had already pulled her to her feet and led her into the kitchen.

"Talk." Was all he said as he reached behind her and locked the door. She was staring up at him with an expression mixed with horror and amusement. "Come on, Lila. I usually can't get you to shut up, and now you're not talking? Don't say it's Elizabeth or Jack or Bella being capture, because it's not. I know what those faces look like, and that's not one of them. So talk. What's been bothering you?"

She was still playing with the key. It had become a nervous habit now. Knowing that Will was not going to let her out of this one, Lila sighed and sat on the counter as she said, "I've been thinking."

"I've come to that assumtion, darling." Will said, with a chuckle as he came to stand in front of her. Resting his hand on her knee again, he asked her, "About what exactly?"

"Us." Was all she said. The two of them were silent for a long time. Will was staring at her hand that was now playing with the opening of his shirt. Her sleeve was pulled up, to reveal a small sparrow tattoo (though nothing like Jacks') on her wrist. Why he had never noticed that, he didn't know. But it was very clearly there.

"Us? What about us?" She dropped her hand when he asked that, and just looked up at him. That face let him know that what he assumed to be wrong with her was indeed what was wrong witht her. He moved closer to her, and laced his fingers with hers as he said, "Lila, I know what you wanted to do. Wait. That's what I wanted for you. For us. But, it didn't work out that way..." He paused for a moment as he thought about what Jack saying that he always points out the obvious.

"Li, darling. You don't know how much that's really bothered me. And I am so terribly sorry, love." She brought her eyes to meet his and smiled as she said, "At least it was with someone you love, right?" She realized with a pang who had just said that to her. Will didn't notice this, and only smiled in agreement as he leaned up and kissed her. Just as her hand found his scar, which it always tended to do, they were interrupted by the door opening.

"Can't you two go for five bloody minutes? 'Ell." Jack rolled his dark eyes as Lila hopped off of the counter. She kissed Will's cheek, before exiting he kitchen, leaving a rather awkward silence between the two boys. Well, for Will. Not exactly for Jack. Jack was the king of awkward silences, and if nothing else, they amused him.

Jack was just getting some rum. Will watched him, as he tried to fix the buttons on his shirt that Lila had undone. When Jack got a huge bottle of rum out, he nodded at Will and said, "Keep an eye on 'er, mate." And then exited singing a drunken version of 'A Pirate's Life'. Will sighed to himself as he turned around and looked out at the horizon. It was hard for him to believe that on such a gorgeous day, there was a war going on literally under their noses. Will glanced down to see that Jack had left a rum bottle for him on the counter. He took it, and raised the bottle to his lips.

He would keep her safe. He would keep an eye on her. And he would do anything and everything to guarantee her safety.

* * *

_"...The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do..."_

* * *


	24. Are You Happy Now?

**This is the product of 30 minutes. LOL, be nice.**

* * *

"What did Will want to talk to you about?" Lila looked over at Saph who was staring sadly down at her empty rum bottle. Lila rolled her eyes and said, "Nothing." The she walked up the stairs. Lila groaned inwardly when she heard Saph step up on the stair behind her. She whirled around to stare down into Saph's dark, sparkling eyes. The two girls just stood there, staring at each other for a long time before Lila gave in and said, "Fine." She turned back around and walked up the stairs, Saph close at her heels. 

Once they got into the bedroom, Saph sat patiently down on the bed and waited for Lila to talk. Lila sighed and walked into the room, locking the door as Will had done earlier. She turned around to meet Saphira's eyes, and took a deep breath as she said, "I think..." She groaned and sank down on the floor.

"Lila, darling. Just say it. Come on. I've seen you fight the likes of Barbossa, and you didn't look as scared and worried as you do now." Lila looked up to see that Saph was laying on her bed, playing with her curls. Behind that cute, innoccent attitude was someone that Lila knew she could always confide in, "Saph, I think I'm...I think I'm..." She closed her eyes and tried to imagine how Will would announce this. She groaned at that image, knowing that he would say 'with child' which, to Lila, sounded completely weird. Saph was just watching her as Lila did, what seemed to her, to be a Jack impression. A rather good one at that.

"OH MY...LILA!" Lila lunged across the room and almost knocked Saphira off of her bed. She covered her mouth, hoping that Saph's outburst was over, and reluctantly took her hand off of it. She didn't have to wait long, "You're with child? _Will's_ child?"

"What? Where you expecting it to be Jack's?" Lila asked, sarcastically as she plopped down on the chair that was in front of the fire place. She felt Saphira's gaze on her as she stared into the dancing flames. 21, not married and now she's having her courter's baby. Which doesn't sound that bad. I mean, it wasn't unusual. Things like this happened a lot of times. She knew that her mother would have frowned apon it, and she couldn't bear to think what their fathers were going to say. Or Jack...

But now? In the middle of a war? This was awful. Bloody awful. Of all the times for anything to happen, something like this had to happen now. NOW. Of all the bloody times! Lila groaned as she sank lower into the seat, feeling tears in her eyes. Saph pulled her over on to the bed, and let her cry. "Lila, tell me what happened." Saph said, soothingly as she stroked Lila's now tear-soaked curls.

* * *

**_One Month Ago  
The Queen Anne's Revenge Bar  
Tortuga_**

* * *

"Lila..." She had decided that Will had never looked any more handsome than he had at that moment. She felt his strong, sword-wielding arms move around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Her own arms went around his neck as she deepened the kiss. Her hands went down his shirt, feeling that hard wall of muscle. That someone had a sort of sobering affect on Will. A temporary one, but a sobering affect all the same, "Li, stop...we can't..."

"Why ever not?" Lila asked, pouting. She had no control over what she was doing. The affect on Will had apparently ran it's course, because now he was the one kissing her. She pushed him up against the wall, as her hands found his scar again. In one swift motion, Will turned around so that she was the one up against the wall. "Captain Turner?"

"Hmmm?" He mumbled against her neck.

"Are we a bit mad for control?" She asked with a laugh, sounding like her normal self (though of course she was far from it). He pulled away from her momentarily to look into her piercing green eyes as he said, "Sorry, love. Comes with the title 'Captain'." She smiled as he leaned back down and kissed her again, pushing her gently against the wall.

"I won yours and Jack's bloody bet on who'd get drunk the quickest-" Will said between kisses. "-what's my prize?"

She flashed him a smirk as she said, "You already have it..."

* * *

"Oh, Lila..." Saphira said as she held on to a crying Lila. She had no idea even in the slightest of what Lila was going thru. "Darling..." She didn't know what to say, only to let Lila cry on her shoulder and to be there for her. "At least you love him, right?" 

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" Lila asked between sobs as she wiped her eyes. She was trying not to cry again, but failed when she said the next sentence, "It doesn't make it any easier, Saph. It really doesn't."

Saph sighed and pulled Lila back into her arms again and let her cry. Will wasn't the man back at that bar. She knew bloody well that that wasn't him. Will was a gentleman. He always put her and what was best for her above everything else. After the bar, he couldn't look at her without saying he was sorry hundreds of times. He wasn't himself for a long time after that incident. It was killing him. But what everyone has always told her was true. Rum was a vile drink that turns respectable men into people that they aren't. Look at Will. That fact only made Lila cry harder. Will wasn't like that. He wasn't...he wasn't...that wasn't Will back in the bar. Not really him.

"You remember when my mother thought that she was..." Saphira trailed off before she finished her sentence, as if 'pregnant' was the most horrible curse word in the English language. "...and that trick Calypso told her to use to see if she was or not? Lila, my mum still has it here. She has that potion that will let you know. All you have to do is put if over your stomach and if it changes color-"

"I don't want to know, Saphie. I've been pushing it out of my mind for weeks now." Lila said, wiping the tears from her eyes. Saphira put a hand over Lila's and said, "Lala-" Lila laughed at Jack's old nickname for her, "-you're going to have to know sometime. There's a war going on, Lila. Wouldn't it be best to know now? To know if you should be in hiding where you're both safe? Then to..."

Lila nodded, causing Saphira to give her knee a reasurring pat, before saying, "I'll go get it." When she left the room, Lila fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling...

"Will?" Will turned away from the view of the ocean as he leaned against the baclony's railing. A moment later, she appeared beside him. She somehow looked different. Her curls were hanging freely as oppossed to being tied up and the white night gown she was wearing was blowing gently in the wind. "I guess Jack told you-"

"-that you wanted to talk to me. Yes, he did." Will found himself playing with the green bandana that held his dark ringlets back. He took his hand down and waited for Lila to respond. He knew what this was about. Sort of, but he didn't even think to imagine where it was going to end up. "What...what's been going on, Li?"

"It was bothering me." She whispered, not looking at him. He didn't have to ask her what she meant by that. They both knew. Will suddenly felt sick as he stood beside her, afraid of what she was going to say next. Was this it? Surely not. "And then, about a week ago...I..." She turned around to face him, her face was white. "...I didn't want to say anything because of William."

"_William_?" Will asked, slightly taken back. This wasn't where he thought this conversation was going. He collapsed on the chair and stared up at the girl he had loved since he was only a child. He couldn't read her expression, and he really didn't want to. "What does William have to do with any of this? Oh, goodness Li, what..." He was about to faint, Lila could tell by the way his face was getting whiter with each passing second.

"Lila, just bloody say something!" Will said, unaware of how loud his voice was. He truly felt sick. And he knew had his heart actually been inside his chest, it would have been pounding. "Li, Li, Li...just say something... I honestly don't care what you say just please say something..." He for the first time in a few minutes, looked up into the now scared face of Lila who looked about as pale as he did.

Which, of course. That didn't help him at all.

"William..." Will repeated. "My son...I...Li, what are you...oh..."

"Will, I thought I was..." She paused for a moment, trying to figure out what she was going to say next. She couldn't say it. Something about those words she just couldn't find them. "I mean, I know...we wanted to wait until we were married and...it didn't work out that way...now I'm being like you and pointing out the obvious...but, we aren't married. And I know we aren't. And I can't help that-"

"Oh, _bloody hell_, Li." Will said, annoyed and wanting to know what she was about to say. He pushed himself out of his chair, which surprised both of them since his legs didn't look like they could support him. Lila watched him in horror as if he was going to take out his sword or something. He put his hand on the railing and said, "Please, Lila. I can't die. That's a torture for me at the moment because had I not been immortal-"

"-I'm pregnant-"

"-my heart would have given out by now. So, please just-"

"-you're going to be a dad again-"

"-tell me what you were going to say before I...wait, what did you just say?" Lila, for the first time, actually smiled as she walked over to Will and took his hands in her as she said, "I said, you're going to be a dad again." If Will's face had any color left in it, Lila was sure that at the moment it would have been drained out. But it was already gone. All gone. "Will? Say something..."

"What..._really?_ Are you..." Will fell back into the seat again. Lila was unsure i fshe should be happy, or start crying since Will's face was completely unreadable. It really was. No hint of anything on his face. "What did you just say? I just can't...what did you say?"

"Ok, well. I'm sorry." She said, with a slight laugh as she came to stand beside him."I sat there and thought about how you would say it. And I'm sorry, Willy, but 'with child' just sounds so...it's just rather funny sounding...so, I settled for what I really am...surprise!"

"Are you serious?" He asked her, just wanting to make sure that she wasn't trying to joke with him. She stared at him for a moment, as if she was scared as to what he was about to say. She reluctantly nodded and said, "Please don't faint."

"I'm not going to faint, darling." Will said, getting out of his chair and pulling her to him. She looked a little taken off guard, but relaxed when Will said, "I'm sorry. You just...shocked me is all...you weren't drinking rum, I should have known something." The two of them were silent for a minute. Lila wasn't really sure whether this was a good thing, or a bd thing. Whether he was truly happy or not.

"Is this...I know it's not like we wanted, but..." Lila paused for a moment, struggling to find her words. "Are you happy?"

"No." Will said, shaking his head. "I'll be honest with you, Li-" He pulled himself away from her, leaving her standing shocked in the middle of the balcony as he walked backwards to the door. He cleared his throat, nothing happened...he cleared his throat again...still nothing...and again...

"Oh, sorry, mate." Jack said with a laugh as he managed to pull himself out of the conversation he was having with Saphira. He grabbed the ring, and quickily ran over to Will and handed it to him. Lila was in shock, so she didn't bother to look behind him when Jack crawled thru the room to give it to him. He closed his hand over the ring, and said to her, "-I'm not happy at all."

"Will." Lila said to him in a toneless voice as he walked back over to her. She wasn't sure what to say. Half of her wasn't really shocked, but the other half was hurt. Will walked back over to her and said, "Why would I be happy?" He tried to hide his smile in when he saw Lila's face make a weird expression. He wasn't sure if it was the best idea putting a woman in her postion thru this much stress, but it sure was funny.

"Well, I would hope you would have said because the girl that you love is going to be your child's mother..." Lila offered hopefully, still with that confused look on her pretty face. Will nodded, and brought his hands out in front of him, still clutching the ring so she couldn't see it, "Yes, the girl I love. Not the _wife _I love."

It hit her. Yes, it did take her a minute. But it hit her. About the time that Will got down on one knee and took her left hand in his and said, "If you do remember, I think that you promised that you would marry me, Miss Parrish." He looked up at Lila who could only nod. That made him smile, as he said, "I promised that I would marry you. And I intend to keep that promise." He smiled at her again, just staring at her, before he said, "Princess, will you marry me?"

"Bloody hell!" She said, smacking his arm. "You bloody scared me, Will! But did you really have to ask?" He smiled at her as he slipped the ring on her finger and brought her in for a kiss. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back. She smiled as she pulled back and asked, "Are you happy now, Captain?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"


	25. What Did You Do?

* * *

_"...I'd die for her..."_

* * *

**_Neptune's War  
Day Four _**

Her eyes popped open at the sound of the loud bang. She laid in bed, not moving until another loud bang rang thru the crisp air of the early morning. She rolled over and saw that Will wasn't beside her like he had been when she fell asleep. That made her sit straight up in her bed as she whispered, "Will?_ William_?" No answer. She silently cursed as she got out of bed and picked up her sword in one hand and a candle in the other hand. Another loud bang rang out as she walked out of the bedroom. She kept her sword out as she walked along the hallway. "Will?" Still no answer, so she continued walking. When she came to the top of the stairs, she heard someone walk behind her, and immediatley turned around. "Will?"

Still no answer. She lowered her sword and pushed the candle out so that she could see clearer. She couldn't see anything, so as she began pulling it back, someone ran into her from behind. Screaming, she dropped the candle and whirled around fast as the other person screamed and did the same. When their swords clashed, realization hit Lila, "Jack? Oh thank heavens." They both lowered their swords, only for Will to come out of seemingly nowhere and tackle Jack, "Get away from my-"

"LILA! GET HIM OFF OF ME!" Jack said, moving his arms frantically as he tried to push Will off of him. will realaxed when he saw Jack's face and said, "Oh, sorry, mate." He smiled as he pulled his sword off of Jack's throat and rolled off of his best friend before helping him to his feet. Jack brushed himself off, and glared at Will before saying sweetly to Lila, "You alright, darlin'?"

"Not really-" She said, taking her sword from Will. She had apparently, unknowingly to her, dropped her sword after she realized it was Jack. Will forced another smile at Jack, but Jack was still mad at him. Lila sighed and looked over to the door downstairs. Bangs were still going off outside, and people were shouting. "-what's going on out there?"

"The war-" Jack screamed at that and whirled around with his sword. Had Saphira not ducked, he probably would have hit her. Since Saphira was in shock, and too sweet, Lila was the one that spoke up and said, "Bloody hell, Jack! Calm down." Saphira was staring at him in a weird way, and took a step back before saying, "-they know you're here Lila. We've got to get you out of here."

Will suddenly got a worried look on his face when they said that 'they know you're here'. A look that scared Lila because she knew that it wasn't out of fear. "_**What did you**_?" Lila's question, and the tone of her voice took everyone of them off-guard. "Will! What did you do?" This time she was on the verge of tears.

"Li, what are you talking about?" Will asked her in a tone of voice that Lila had never heard him use before. Hell, Jack had never heard him use it before. "Li, I didn't do anything." Lie. It was just a big lie. Lila knew it too. She just shook her head and said, "Don't. Don't even say that to me, Turner. You're a liar-" When he tried to grab her, se pushed him back and said, "-you turned me in, Pirate." She spat that at him before she walked back into her room and slammed the door. Jack only glared at Will once before following Lila into her room. Not glancing at Bella, Will grabbed his sword and ran down the stairs. Anger was filling up inside him as he opened the door to face Cutler Beckett. "Ah, Mr. Turner. Right on time."

Will followed Beckett down the path in silence. Beckett broke the silence by saying, "Well, Mr. Turner. I see no crown as promised. I wouldn't be wanting to think that you were lying to me-"

"-I wasn't lying to you, Beckett. You'll get the crown in all good time as I promised." Will said, pulling on his jacket. Even though they were in the Caribbeans, it could get quite chilly at night. Will felt sick, in a way. More so and for a different reason than he had just a few hours earlier. The wind caught his dark ringlets as he turned to face the former Lord. "Only if you meet me half way."

Cutler chuckled softly at that, as he continued to walk forxing Will to pick up his pace. "I'll meet you half way when you do your-"

"No. Because then you won't do your part." Will said, cutting him off. He narrowed his hazel eyes and said, "I helped you the last time-"

"-resulting in you helping Jack Sparrow to kill me." Cutler reminded him coldly. The two men continued to walk in silence, before Beckett said, "You and Jack don't hate each other half as much as you let on. In any given case, you and Sparrow are most hated by my people. Do you know why? Where Sparrow is, you are. And where you are, Sparrow is. I can't trust you, until I know that Sparrow isn't behind this as well, Mr, Turner, And until you prove that to me, Miss Parrish is as good as dead. And it will be your fault."

"As it would seem, Mr. Beckett. You would be talking to a future prince." Will smirked as he waited Cutler's reaction to that. Beckett whirled around rather fast and stared at Will before asking, "Would I now? Well, that changes everything, doesn't it?"

"Lala, darlin'. Come on-" Jack and Saphira were practicaly dragging her out of her room, surprised that she had an angry look in her eyes and a gun in hand. Jack and Saph exchanged glances before Jack said in a calm voice, "Love, should a pregnant lass be handlin' a gun-"

"I'll handle whatever I wish to handle, Jack." She rolled her kohl-lined eyes and began down the stairs. Jack and Saphira looked after her for a minute, before Jack smiled over at Saphira and said, "Well, darlin'. Someone has to follow after her? Shall we, angel?" He offered her his arm. Saphira blushed slightly, but smiled as she took his arm and said, "I suppose so."

Jack can't say that he was entirely surprised to walk out and see Lila shooting at nothing when he and Saphira emerged arm in arm out of her cabin. Jack rolled his eyes and staggered over to her, "Lila, honestly. Do ye want to get killed?" He grabbed the gun from her, and put it back in her belt. Lila didn't say anything, only stared at him and began walking down ironically the same path that Will and Beckett walked down moments earlier.

She knew Will was a pirate. She had known that even when they were just children. He was always a pirate, no matter how much he tried to suggest otherwise. He was a liar. He was a backstabber. He was a betrayer. He was her fiancee, and she as in love with him. He was the father of her child for goodness skaes, and at the moment she wanted nothing more that to shove her sword thru him. How could he do this to her? After all they've been thru? After all the, '...you were my first love...' conversations. After everything? She bloody left him so he could be with Elizabeth! She did it for him! She sacrificed her happiness for Will and Elizabeth. And this is how she was repaid?

"Lala? You alright?" Jack said, making her turn around to see him with his arm wrapped around Saphira. She herself had a sad look on her face as Jack and her walked up to her, wrapping his free arm around Lila. It was amazing how Jack had changed remarkably in the last few hours. I mean, he hadn't called Lila 'Lala' since they spent the summer with Saphie in Singapore. "Maybe he has a reason-"

"-for turning in his fiancee? The mother of his child, for Barbossa's sake. Jack, even if that was before he knew all of this, if he really loved me do you think that he would have done this?" Tears welled up in Lila's piercing green eyes as she said this. "I'll kill him-"

"-now, love. Let us not be doin' things that we will be regrettin' later on..." Jack said, stroking his beard causing Saphira to smile. "We're going to the Brethren Court's old meeting place-"

"-why?"

"For a Brethren Court meeting, darlin'." Jack said, in a 'how much rum have you had?' kind of voice. Which was clear, that she couldn't have had any. And he knew that. It was a sight you might have seen in Tortuga. A very handsome pirate captain with his arms around two gorgeous girls. But they were far from Tortuga. Far from that carefree port. Actually, Lila was beginning to think that they were closer to hell than Tortuga. "Those iditots are such buggers, they won' never think o' lookin' in the old Brethren Court hideout."

And somehow, that made sense.

Cannons were shooting off in the distance as they made it into the heart of the small town. Jack walked out first, leaving the two girls safely behind the bushes as he made sure that no one was hiding and could possibly hurt,kill and/or kidnap the girls. After walking around for a moment and seeing it was safe, he motioned for them to follow him. Lila and Saph ran as fast as they could to Jack, nearly colliding with him as they did so.

Lila and Saphira were holding on to Jack as the entered the deserted pub. It was quite a disgusting sight, really. Jack made a face when a snake slid past them, causing Lila to almost scream. She didn't, because Jack knew of her fear of snakes and he had already put his hand over her mouth. He held out his hand again, and Lila took it as he continued to lead the two girls upstairs. He didn't have to offer his hand to Saph, she already had his whole arm. When the three came up to the door, Jack knocked three times. The little slot on the door opened and a voice answered, " What does Code Rule Number 321 state?"

"Son, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I don't bloody read that Code even if my father did write it, savvy?" A chuckle came from behind the door. After a few locks were unlocked, the door opened the reveal a younger man about the age of 25 at the most. When he saw Lila, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty." She smiled at him, still holding Jack's hand rather tightly, and only gave a polite nod as she usually did when people addressed her as "Your Majesty".

"Oh damn." Lila whispered, causing Jack to look down at her and asked, "Wha' is it, princess?" She nodded towards Barbossa who was leaning up against the wall, with his foot propped up against an overturned barrel. Jack and Lila exchanged glances before saying, " 'Ow the bloody 'ell are you still alive, mate? Shouldn't you be rotting in Davy Jones's Locker?" Lila resisted the urge to correct him and say that it was Will's locker, but she didn't since the sound of Will's name made her want to cry and shoot something.

"None of your business, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow." Barbossa said in his usual toneless hiss. He kicked the barrel so that in one swift motion, it was turned rightside up again and he made his way over to the table. Bootstrap and Grant appeared a minute later. Bootstrap walked over to Lila and embraced her as he said, "I thought that you were dead, Lila." He looked beside her and noticed who was missing. When Jack saw this, he said to the lot of the present pirate lords, "We seem to have a traitor in our midst. Not among _us_."

"Where's Willliam?" Boostrap asked Jack, but it was Lila who answered as she said, "Not among us." Boostrap's face fell, before he closed his eyes that matched Will's and sank down into a chair beside Lila. Grant gave Lila a sad smile, before walking over to her and giving her a kiss on the forhead, "Welcome to the Wonderful World of Piracy, love." He gave her a shoulder a pat, before saying, "Alright men...and ladies...the time for war is now. We've waited too long for this, and as you can see that damned Beckett won't rest at all. We neither fighting with the pirates, nor the EITC. We're not fighting with Neptune. We're fighting for our freedom. Not the crown."

Jack looked up at his father and said, "They know she's 'ere-"

"'-well give her to them then!" Yelled the current pirate lord of Singapore. All eyes fell on him, clearly a descendent of Sao Fang. "Isn't she the reason that we're here? She's the reason that this war was taking place-"

"-the war was a hundred years in the makin', _**Captain **_Fang. Lila had nothin' to do with Neptune's desicion on war, so if you value your _life _I do suggest that you close your bloody mouth, savvy?" Jack said in an annoyed voice as she shot a murderous glare over in Captain Fang's direction. Needless to say, Fang was a fast learner when it came to messing with Captain Jack. Simply don't do it.

Jack wrapped an arm around Saphira, before glancing over at Lila and giving her a wink. Bootstrap put a protective arm around Lila, clearly still in shock over his son and waited for Grant's orders. Grant looked down at his niece, before he turned back to the pirate lords and said, "We will fight. I'm going to be honest in saying that we all won't make it back. But that's a price we have to pay for freedom."

That sentence was accompanied by a mix of agreements and disapprovments alike. Grant rolled his eyes and said, "SILENCE!" To say everyone looked rather scared at the sound of Grant's voice was an understatment, "Let's get one thing straight, if any of you so much as thinks about turning my niece in, you might as well shoot yourself because if you don't I will. Understand that?"

"And honestly, if you're not going to do it for yourself, do it for you children. Beckett's no idiot. Neither is my father. Do you honestly want them to live in a_ damned_ world like this?" When Lila said that, two things happened at once. The pirates nodded and whispered to themselves, and the other was that Grant and Bootstrap glanced over at her with a confused look to which Lila only looked down.

"There's not going to be a war like this again. Not one that is so important. Not one that is risking so much. If you value life, your family and freedom, the time to fight for all of that is now." Grant said that with a slight smile. He nodded and said, "We attack at dawn." Shouts accompanied his statement as people began scrambling about getting weapons and making plans. Bootstrap looked down at Lila and whispered, "Lila, are you?"

She gave a sad smile, holding back tears and only whispered, "Yes." He smiled too and leaned down and gave her forhead a kiss just like Grant had done earlier. Jack helped Saphira out of her seat, still having his arm around her shoulders, and said, "And after this, rum!" Lila shot him a glare, to which he smiled and, "Or water."

Saphira giggled as Jack led her back down the stairs, no doubt telling her some funny and completely untrue story. Lila got up in time to catch a sword Grant just tossed at her. He gave her a smile and said, "You and Jack are to be accompanying me. And considerin' he's attached at the hip with that girl, then I 'spose she'll be coming with us as well."

Lila tucked away her sword and followed her uncle down the stairs. "Jacob? Let's go." Saphira and Lila started giggling at the sound of Jack's middle name. His first name was Grant, but better Grant than Jacob. Captain Teague smiled at that, knowing that that was the exact reaction that he wanted from Jack. Jack rolled his eyes and began following Bootsrap, his father and the girls down the long dark path...

They looked out on the ship's deck to see hundreds of ships, pirate ships, Neptune's ships, the EITC's ships...the sides of the war coming together. This was it. It was happening now. Will stood on the deck of that ship, watching as the horizon disappeared behind the mass of ships sailing towards them.

Footsteps came closer to him, before Cutler Beckett stopped beside him and watched the ships sail towards them. He laughed quietly and said, "Brings back memories, doesn't it? But this time, I will win this. You're help is appreciated, Mr. Turner." Beckett stared at Will for a moment longer, before walking back down the deck.

Will closed his eyes..._"...I'd die for her..."_

But just how far was he willing to go?

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_"...I'd die for her..."_

* * *


	26. Meetings

**Yeah. I know. I'm on an updating spree. LOL. You'll see why soon enough! Enjoy, loves! Review!!!  
-Captain Autumn**

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"I can't believe you locked Saphira up in the ship, Jack." Lila whispered harshly as the two of them followed Grant and Bootstrap into the deserted castle. For it being morning, it was rather dark. Dark with a mixture of rain clouds and smoke from the battle going on just on the sea a few feet away from them. Every now and then, an explosion would go off, making Lila cringe as she tried not to think about who could have been on that ship at that moment.

Will.

"She's in good hands, love." Jack said in a tone that made Lila believe that he was just trying to make himself feel better. True enough, she was safer on that ship than she was out here in the open. Both of them knew that. But as a matter of fact, you weren't safe really anywhere on this island. In the Caribbean. Because somewhere someone was at war. Lila closed her eyes momentarily, but opened them up when Jack put a comforting arm around her. She only had one thing on her mind. Not the war, not her crown. Not even her baby.

Will.

What was he really doing? Was he safe? And what the bloody hell did he promise Beckett? Was it really her? Or maybe had he promised his heart so that Beckett truly could be immortal? Would he do that for her safety? Did she really have to ask herself that? Of course he would. He would die for her. He had told her countless times before. He would do anything if it meant that she would remain safe. He loved her.

She felt a tear roll down her cheek, causing Jack to look down at her and say, "Lala?" Lila wiped her eyes and smiled up at Jack. She had been about to say something to Jack, but she never got a chance to, because Grant said, "Bootstrap? You and Lila shall be going to find Miss Bella, Jack and I will go find William-"

"-No, I'm going to find William. Being his fiancee and his dad, I think _we _should go." Lila said, pulling her long golden-brown curls back. She tucked a curl that escaped the scarlet tie behind her ear and looked up at her uncle, waiting for an answer. Grant nodded and said, "Fine then. We'll go after Miss Bella. You find William...Lila, don't be disappointed if..." Lila nodded and said, "I won't be. Be careful. Both of you."

Grant nodded to them, and walked past them. Jack smiled at Lila and said, "Be careful, Lala." And with that, he followed his father down the path. Bootstrap and Lila began their journey to the upper rooms where they had over heard Beckett and his men talking about.

They made their way into a long dark hallway. Bootstrap glanced over at his future daughter-in-law and said, "Darling, something doesn't seem right..." She agreed. The two of them were standing in that hallway in complete quiet. Shouldn't someone be guarding Culter Beckett's office? Shouldn't some guards be in here? Or maybe some of his army? Something was weird about this. Lila took a step back, but when Boostrap realized why, it was too late.

"LILA RUN!" She didn't waste any time. She took off running at the sound of her name, though it really didn't sound like Boostrap who said it. But she didn't care. Was she worried about Bootstrap? Yes. Of course she was. He was like her father, but she knew that she not only had to care for herself, but the baby as well. Just as she turned the corner, a pair of arms grabbed her around the shoulders. She wondered why, since you would have thought that he would have gone straight to the waist since that would have been much easier. But he grabbed her shoulders. She knew why a minute later.

"LET ME GO!" Lila screamed as the grip on her shoulders tightened. He pulled her down the hallway, and into another room. She whipped her sword out only to see that she was in a dungeon styled room with...

...her fiancee...

"Oh, hell." She muttered, narrowing her green eyes. "YOU BAS-" Will ran over to her and covered up her mouth before she could say anything. She pulled herself away from him and stared at him with a murderous glare. "How the hell could you, Turner?"

"Lila-"

"Don't! I don't bloody want to hear it! Is that your idea of fun? Asking the girl who's bloody having your baby to get married and then turning her in to Lord Satan?" Will rolled his hazel eyes, and made a move towards her. She cut him off by pulling out her sword and saying, "No. I don't want to hear it from you, Will... No more lies."

"I'm not lying to you, Lila. I only wasn't telling you what I was doing." He found that he had to bring out his own sword purely for defense. He knew how she could and probably would get. And she was a bloody good sword fighter. He himself lost to her a few times. They circled a few times, before Lila started at him. It took him off guard, so he almost lost balance. They were evenly matched, which made it all the more hard until Will did a move that made her sword go spinning into the air. And before she even had a chance to so much as think, he pushed her up against the wall.

"Lila, I would never do anything to put you in danger. Or our child, for goodness sakes. I know what I'm doing..." The tone of his voice, made Lila instantly relax. She was breathing heavily. But of course Will wasn't. He honestly didn't have to breath at all, it was just out of a habit. "...have I ever given any reason for you to doubt me, darling?"

"You're a pirate." She spat at him.

"So are you, but I don't trust you any less, do I?" Will shot back at her, only in a gentler voice than she had used on him. "I'm a pirate." She blinked up at him. That was the first time that Will had ever really admitted to being a pirate.

"I'm a pirate, but I'm a man of my word. And I promised to keep you safe. And I'll do just that." Lila stared crying for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. But this time for a completley different reason. And this time, she was in her fiancee's arms. He closed his eyes as he laid his head on hers and said, "Shh, darling. I'm here..."

"I'm sorry, Will."

"Darling, don't be." He said with a smile as he wiped away her tears. He bent down and handed her her sword back, before saying, "Where's my father?" He opened the door, and looked around before he took her hand and led her out into the hall again. She stayed close beside him as more cannons and screams rang thru the early morning and said, "He was behind me, but when Beckett's men attacked, he told me to run-"

"-that was me." Will said, with a smile down to her. She smiled too, but stopped when she saw a very familar face standing before her. Will recovered first and said, "Saphira, what the bloody hell are you doing here? You're suppossed to be-"

"-well, it got quite noisy on the ship. And scary-"

"Jack's going to kill you. Well, he won't. But he'll kill me for not locking the door because you promised that you wouldn't try and escape." Lila didn't wait for Saph to finish, she just took her arm and pulled her down the hallway. The three of them were walking down the hall to another corridor.

"We've got to get out of here, Li. They're coming after you. I've got to get you back on the Dutchman, both of you. I'm staying back here and using the crown as bait so that I can kill Beckett. I'll come back for you-"

"-Will, I'm not leaving you." Lila said, stopping in the middle of the hallway. Saphira and Will stopped and stared at her as she crossed her arms over her chest. Saph looked over at Will. They exchanged glances, before Will said to her, "Lila, the baby-"

"-Will, I'm fine. I'm sure I'm not the only preg-...ok, sorry..pirate that's been "with child"..." She rolled her eyes at that last statement causing Will to smile faintly. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a gun shot just around the corner. Lila's heart seemed to stop beating, before she turned on her heels and sped down the hallway.

"LILA!" Both Will and Saphira ran after her, to only find her frozen at the end of the next hall, staring at the body that was on the ground. Will's first thought was that it was Jack. He suddenly felt sick as he approached his fiancee, keeping an arm around Saphira as he said, "Darling-"

Lila fell back into him, and that's when he saw who the body belonged to...

...Bella...

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	27. All They Could Do

**Hmmm...Just imagine He's A Pirate playing in the background of this chapter...**

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_"...You can mistrust me less than you can mistrust him.  
Trust me..."_

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**Neptune's War  
**_The Final Battle_

Fire was consuming the island as he looked out at the three sides of the war, finally coming together for one last epic battle. The battle that would decided this: Would Neptune once again come out on top? Or would pirates rule the seas? Or maybe, would the EITC come back stronger than it ever was? Or maybe, just maybe...

"Sir?" He brought his eyes off of the flames that he was staring at thru the window, and turned to see the young man walking inside. "He's here...do you want me to...send him-" A small smile crept across the other man's lips as he said, "I'll see him myself." The young man was trembling from the sound of his leader's voice. It was enough to send chills down anyone's spine. The young man nodded slowly, then said quickly, "He's in the-"

But the older man had already pushed him aside and began walking down the stairs. Another smile crept across his face as he walked down the staircase. He was going to win. Well, he had already won actually. There was no way that anyone could get in the way of his perfect plan now. They were broken up. They doubted each other. They were seperated. They had no one to turn to now. No one. He made sure of that. A laugh now escaped his lips as he got to his destanation. The man they captured was tied up to a chair. Breathing heavily, his dark eyes were immediatley filled up with rage only making his captor smile even more, if that was even possible.

"You're betrayl, sadly enough, was your downfall." He poured his captive some tea to which the captive only scowled causing him to laugh and say, "And hers as well...Her death is _your _fault."

William Turner smiled as he looked down at the tea that had been offered to him. Cutler Beckett sat down across from him, and said to him in a tone above a harsh whisper, "Bella died because she was trying to help you. You and Miss Parrish... Mr. Turner, do you realize how stupid you are? Just waltzing in like this? That crown will be mine now, regardless of what you do-"

"What I do? Mate, I don't think it's only me." Will said with a smirk as the door behind Beckett opened. Cutler didn't turn around, but a minute later, he felt a tip of a sword at his neck as a teasing voice said, "Funny thing about crowns. You have to be born into them. Or marry into them. And seeing as you aren't of royal descent and you're bloody well not marrying me-" She pushed it deeper and said, "You're out of luck, mate. So sorry."

Lila walked over to Will and cut him out of his ropes. Moments later, Beckett had both of them holding their swords at their throats. Will wasn't digging his in half as much as Lila was, but then again, Lila was pretty mad. Cutler made no sign that this actually affected him in any way. He just sat there with a smile on his face, as he said "Do yo think you can actually win? Do you really think you can?" He snapped his fingers, and instantly his men were walking in the doors. Lila backed up against Will, and asked" What now, Captain?"

"We fight..." Came another voice. All of the men, Cutler, and Will and Lila turned to look to see who was walking in the door. A very tired looking Jack Sparrow walked in. He scowled as he said." Honestly, mate. I've been watin' forever now. And now you decide to show up?" He ywaned a bit, before he dusted off his pants and raised his word as Will and Lila were doing. "I reckon I might as well join this anyway. Where William is involved, in some sort of twisted way, I'll end up ivolved as well, so I better just go ahead and spare the trouble, aye?" Jack came to join Will and Lila over in front of Beckett. Cutler Beckett only pulled out a sword himself and said, "Do you think that wise, Master Turner? You need to find your place in this world."

"It's right here, Mr. Beckett. Fighting you to your death between my best mate and my fiancee. Where's your place?" Will said with a smirk as all three of them took a step towards Beckett. Somehow, Cutler ordered his men to attack, and in just a few moments, they were being swarmed with the Royal Navy. Jack looked over at Will and smirked as he said, "Just like old times, aye?" When he looked down to see Lila's tear stained cheeks, he glanced back up at Will but never had a chance to answer, because at that moment a sword nearly came colliding with his head.

"OI!" Jack yelled, as he ducked and knocked the man down. He rolled his chocolate eyes and began fighting. Will glanced over at Lila who gave Will a faint smile, before beginning to fight herself. Will was watching him more carefully more so than he was watching what he was doing. "WILL! Mate, it's me!" Jack spat as he caught Will's sword before it hit him. Will was about to apologize, but he didn't because he had to knock a sword away before it came down to meet Jack's neck where it had been aiming. Jack smiled, and then glanced at the curtain, before ripping it off of the wall and throwing and end at Will. Will smiled as he tossed his sword to Lila and began running with Jack down the room. Jack was smiling as people flipped over the curtain as they ran. They ran behind a column and pulled so that the men in the curtain fell back agaisnt the column and were immediatley knocked out.

"Sword!" Will cried when he and Jack emerged from the column. Lila looked slightly taken back, but nodded as she disarmed one of the men and kicked him down. Then she tossed one of her swords to Will and followed him up the stairs. "Where's the crown?" Jack yelled up to Will who was now up the stairs looking for it. "I don't know, Jack! Lila, cover me!"

"Already doing it, love." Lila said as she was fighting behind him. "Hurry!" Will started looking inside chests and drawers. He groaned when it wasn't in there. "What the hell!" Will muttered angrily as a sword nearly slammed against his head. He moved just in time, and in a matter of moments that man was down the stairs, not moving and sprawled out. Will glanced at Lila in shock who looked about as shocked as he was. She finally got over it, and let her Sparrow ego shine thru as she said, "What? Did it really surprise you that much?"

She leaned over and kissed him before saying, "Nobody hurts my fiancee. Even if he is immortal." With that, she turned around and blocked another sword. Will sighed as he looked around the room. Where wa s that bloody crown? "Li?"

Lila spun around and looked over where Will was looking. "_Oh bloody hell_." She mumbled as she came to stnad beside Will. He glanced down at her for a minute, before turning back up to look and the chandelier. It blended in perfectly with it, but he still didn't know exactly how the hell Beckett managed to get it up there. Will gave her a smile, before getting on to the railing and standing there, staring at the chandelier and how far he was in the air. He jumped before he could stop himself, and was actually surprised when he grabbed on to the chandelier and pulled himself up on it. A crystal flew off when one of Beckett's men tried to shoot at Will. Lila glared over at him, but turned it into a smile as she walked over to him. He was taken, back and just stared at her long enough for he to disarm him and push him roughly down the stairs like she had done that man earlier.

She smiled to herself, that was her strategy. Acting like a damsel in distress so that she could use that to her advantage. Jack and Lila were now watching Will swing back and forth on that chandelier in horror. Well, amusement for Jack. "I got it!" Will cried when he stood up on it and raised the crown in the air. He realized a split second later that he shouldn't have done that, because the ceiling cracked. All the color drained out of Lila's face as Jack ran up to the balcony and started pulling down the curtains. "WILL!" Will amazingly swung over and caught the curtain that Jack was holding. Lila ran up behind Jack, and helped him hold on to the curtain and pull Will back up.

The chandelier? It fell. Taking Beckett's men down with it. Jack smirked over at Will as he pulled him to his feet, and said, "Nice job, mate." Will smiled up at Jack, but then became serious as he said, "Take this-" Will handed him the crown. "-get back to the Pearl, and don't wait for me, alright?" Jack took the crown, and stared up at him as if he had just told him that he was engaged to a goat. "Jack, please. And whatever you do, keep Lila safe."

"You know I will, mate." Jack said, with a slight smile and a nod to his friend. "Be careful, eunuch." He moved over so that Lila could run over to him and hug him. Will wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her cheek as he said, "I love you." She pulled back as he wiped her tears. She smiled and said, "I know you do. I love you too." She leaned up and briefly kissed him, before allowing Jack to pull her down the stairs. Jack and Lila turned around once more when they reached the door, but continued out.

Will rested his hand on the railing, waiting for him to speak. He heard footsteps a minute later, and then the chilling voice as it said, "Wrong move, Turner." Will smiled to himself as he grasped his sword tightly in his hand, preparing to fight and said, "Actually? I think your wrong-" He turned to face Beckett as he said, "-I think it was the right move."

It started so fast, that Will had no idea how they ended up on the outside part of the balcony. Will had a rather deep gash on his arm, but made no sign that it hurt as much as it really did. Beckett swung his sword, and spat, "Just like your mother. A coward." Will felt his anger bubbling up inside of him as his sword made contact with Beckett's arm. Beckett winced in pain long enough for Will to push him up against the wall and restrain him as he spat, "My mother was_ not_ a coward. You killed her trying to get to her best friend's daughter. She didn't tell you, because that girl had become like her own daughter. She died wanting to protect her loved ones, how is that being a _coward,_ Beckett? Oh, but that's right. You wouldn't know. You don't have a heart anyway, do you?"

"SHUT UP!"

"That's where you messed up the first time. You killed my mother. You had to have known that I wasn't going to sit too easily with that one-" He was holding Beckett at an angle that he couldn't try anything with Will, lest his arm be snapped. Will smirked at his enemy's pain and said, "-you know where you messed up the second time? You bloody went and brought Lila in to this. That's just asking for a death wish, mate. And you know, I do have a place reserved for people like you? A fate worse than hell. The locker. Because. you're not going to bring my mother and my fiancee into this, mate. Not again."

Will moved so fast that Beckett had no time to react, the sword made contact with Beckett's arm once more. Cutler tried to duck under Will and swing at him, but his foot got caught on the balcony's railing. It happened quickly. So quickly, Will had to look down to make sure that it really happened. Cutler Beckett had fallen to his death off of a balcony. Will stared down at him for a moment, before putting his sword into his belt and saying, "By your leave, Mr. Beckett."

And then he walked out of the castle, back in the direction that he had hoped that his fiancee would be...

"Saphira? Wha' the bloody 'ell are you doin' out 'ere?" Jack asked her rather roughly as he and Lila ran down the Pearl's deck, behind the mast. Every once and a while, Jack would push her behind him so that either he or Lila could block either a pirate's , EITC's or one of Neptune's Army's swords. Jack spun around to see Saphira wasn't there anymore. "Saph? Saphie?"

"JACKIE!" He and Lila spun around quickly to see that one of the EITC's men was dragging her off the Pearl. Jack's chocolate eyes narrowed as he whispered to Lila, "Stay here." He ran down the deck to where the man was dragging Saph to get into a longboat. Jack pulled out his gun, but was cut off when the admiral said, "Drop your weapons. Or she dies." He placed the knife under Saphira's throat.  
Jack smirked as a laugh escaped his mouth, and said, "Son, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I'm capable of anythin' and most everythin'..." He said that as he walked behind the admiral and Saphira to place a rope inside the cannon. "...and that anythin' that I am most capable of has everythin' to do with out smartin' ye." He lit the cannon, and then turned to the new admiral and said, "Ta." It happened so quickly that the poor admiral had no time to react. Jack pulled Saphira back into his arms, and the admiral shot off into the water with the cannon.

"Are you alright, darlin'?" Jack said, a trickle of blood running down his face more than likely from the battle back in the castle. Saphira was breathing heavily as she jumped into Jack's arms and wrapped hers around him. Jack was stunned for a minute, but smiled as he wrapped his arms back around her and said, "Darlin', I was goin' to let that terrible beastie of an admiral hurt ye." She smiled as she looked up at him, maybe longer than she should have. They were getting closer, when...

The Pearl rocked violently almost knocking over half the people on it. Lila was running down the decks, looking for any sign of Will, when a faint pop was heard behind her. She spun around to see Will materializing behind her. She almost fell down she was so releaved to see him. He looked tired, but that didn't stop her from running over to him and jumping into his arms. He laughed as he picked her up and kissed her. "Happy to see me?" He asked, putting her back down.

"Bloody hell, you have no idea..." She was cut off when the ship rocked again, this time actually lifting it out of the water. Lila would have fallen down, but Will caught her, and kept a firm arm around her as they made it down the stairs. It didn't look good. Nothing really did. The sky should have been clear and sunny, but it was black and red. Explosions were going off, people were screaming, guns were shooting...it was a nightmare. Will took Lila's hand kissed the top of her head as they waited...that's all they could do...

"Saphira?" Jack asked, looking over at the young girl beside him. She turned around with a horror stricken face as the ship rocked again. She smiled faintly as Jack pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Being Captain of all forward remarks..." Jack started pulling back so he could look into her face. He pushed a curl and said, "I seem to be fallin' for ye, Miss Dawson."

"I seem to be doing the same for you, Mr. Sparrow." And with that, Jack leaned down and kissed her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled against him, and wrapped hers around his neck. They just stood there in each other's arms, kissing.  
Right there on the Pearl, as it was seemingly sinking...in the middle of the war...

But it didn't matter to them.

* * *

_"...You can mistrust me less than you can mistrust him.  
Trust me..."_

* * *


	28. I Love Those Moments

**This is it. The reason for my posting so many updates will be revealed later! LOL  
Thanks to all my readers!  
-Captain Autumn**

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_"...there will come a moment when you have the chance to do the right thing..."_

* * *

**Neptune's War  
_The Last Day_**

As the Pearl seemed to get lower into the water, Will grabbed Lila's hand and pulled her on the top deck. Keeping firm grip on her arm, he turned back down to Jack and Saphie. "Oh, heavens..." He mumbled when he saw them kissing on the lower decks as the Pearl sank. Lila couldn't hide her smile as she came to stand beside Will who looked a little annoyed by this whole situation. "Oi! Jack!" Jack didn't move. It seemed as if his lips were attached to hers and couldn't be removed, "JACOB!"

"WHA' ?" Jack yelled, pulling his lips off of Saphira's to see a smiling Lila and a furious Will. He kept an arm around Saph's waist as he glared a murderous glare up at his former first mate. The captain of the Flying Dutchman just stared at him for a moment, as if he had popped out of thin air, and yelled, "We're bloody sinking!!! If you hadn't noticed this! I don't think this is the best time for you to be kissing Saphira!"

"You and Lila-"

"I'M NOT BLOODY KISSING HER NOW! WE ARE SINKING! AND IF YOU DON'T GET UP HERE, I"M LEAVING YOU! BECAUSE I AM NOT WAITING FOR MY FIANCEE AND BABY TO SINK WITH IT, GRANT!" Will was getting pretty upset. Not that he should be talking. He and Lila were bad at times, but like he said, not when the ship was actually sinking. Jack realized what Will had just said, and took Saphira's arm and led her up to the top deck. Jack looked back down at the Pearl as water filled it up. Saphira smiled sadly and whispered, "Jackie, it's just a ship."

"Yes, just a ship that we'll be going down with in a minute." Will said, annoyed as he stared at Jack waiting for him to move. Lila shot her fiancee a glare, but turned back and smiled over at Jack. "Alright, before we leave...do we need to get any- LI!" Realization hit Lila. She broke out of Will's grasp and jumped into the water. William stared at her for a minute, before realizing that she did indeed just do that, and jumped in after her leaving Jack and Saphira alone again. Jack leaned down and kissed her again, only to be smacked up against the head when a wet Will emerged holding on to Lila. Lila was smiling over at Saphira and Jack as she clutched the chest in her arms.

"Darling, you have got to keep a better eye on that." Will said, in a bored voice as he massaged his temples. Lila sighed as Will grabbed her, and then motioned for Jack and Saphira to come over to them. "Will, have you done this before?" Lila asked him, in a worried tone. Will looked over at her and said, "No. You said Davy could do it. I can materialize myself, I should be able to do all four of us..." All four of them closed their eyes and held on to each other as Will tried to move them. When they opened it again, they were in the pub that the Brethren Court meeting had been in hours earlier.

"Lila?" Lila turned up from Will to see her father walking into the room. The man that she hadn't seen in months. The man that she hated so much sometimes, but nothing could have prepared her when she saw him. She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his own around her and held her for a long time. "Darling, I was so worried. I was told that you were shot by one of my men...I couldn't bear it..." He pulled back to look into his daughter's face. She had never looked so much like her mother, so much like a Sparrow ever before. "Why did you do this to yourself?"

"Fighting for what's right?" Lila asked, stepping back from her father slightly. Her father's eyes fell on the chest that she was standing beside. It was his brother's. Or was his brother's. He looked back into her eyes as she said, "Why did mum do what she did, Daddy? She was a Sparrow. You know that as well as I bloody do. Did you think that if you just told me not to tell anyone and not to live that life that you could make me not follow in my mother's footsteps? Do you think that this is the right way? Father, it's not."

"You're not a pirate-"

"Dad, yes I am. I've sailed on a ship for five months. I've killed people, I've sword fought...what does that make me? A saint?" She raised her left hand up and pushed back a curl. As she did that, he noticed two things. He noticed the small sparrow on her wrist just like her mother had and he also noticed a diamond sparkling on her finger. That somehow changed him. He glanced over at Will who was standing in the corner of the room, now walking over to stand beside her.

"I'll call it off." Neptune said, eventually.

"Are you serious?" Lila asked him, in pure shock. "Daddy-"

"-darling, your mother was a pirate. And a good person. A gorgeous person. I have no problem with that if that is the life that you choose, because you're my daughter. And I want what's best for you." He looked at Will and said with a smile, "And I see now that this is the best for you-" She smiled and threw her arms around him again. He kissed her cheek, and said, "We don't have much time. I need to get you to the Sun as quickly as we possibly can..." He trailed off when he saw Jack and said, "Jacob. Nice to see you again, son."

Will smirked at that name, causing Jack to wince, but say, "Uncle Parrish..." Neptune smiled at him, and put his arm around Lila's waist as he led her out of the pub. Will and and attached Jack and Saphira followed them closely as they entered the dark streets. Jack momentarily turned away from Saphira to look into the shadows. He thought he had heard voices, but turned back to Saphira.

"You're rather jumpy tonight, Jack." Will said with a slight smirk, as he glanced over at the infamous pirate lord. Jack rolled his eyes, because he was in no mood for these kinds of comments. More so, because he knew he had heard something. He heard it again. And this time, Lila apparently did too because she turned away from her father and turned to look behind them. "Jack..." She whispered, but it was already too late. He knew he heard something...

"LILA!" A scream accompanied the gun shot. Whose it was, well that wasn't for sure. After the smoke cleared, and Will had pulled out his own gun and restrained the men, it was clear who their target was. And also, who their target wasn't. Lila's face was drained from color. She was pale, almost ghost like as she stood there, staring down at the ground.

"Jack..." She whispered. He whispers turned into a scream as she broke away from her father and ran over to the lifeless form of Captain Jack Sparrow laying on the ground. "JACK!" She collapsed on the ground in front of him, cupping her hands around his pale, yet still handsome face. "Jack, please..."

"Love-" He managed to croak out, but his eyes closed again. Will took this time to shoot the man that had killed Captain Jack. Well, he wasn't dead yet, but Will didn't really care. He was dying sure enough. Shoving his gun back in his belt, he walked over to the lifeless form of his friend. Saphira was crying as she kissed him lightly and whispered, "I love you, Jackie."

"I love...you too, darlin'." He managed to say, as he strugged to keep his eyes open. Saphira started crying uncontrollably, so Will brought her into his arms and tried to calm her. Lila was still staring down at Jack as tears rolled down her cheeks. She took his hand in hers and said, "Jack, you're and idiot. I want you to know that. A bloody brilliant one...why did you do that? Jack, open you eyes!" Will looked up at Lila. He had never seen her like this. He honestly felt like breaking down himself, but he was remaining strong for the girls' sakes.

"Jack, please don't. Please!" Lila was crying now, not quite as hard as Saphira was, but hard. Saphira glanced down at Jack and just stared at him as his eyes closed. "_**JACKIE**_"! Saphira screamed and laid her head down on his chest. Knowing that she shouldn't be doing that, Will wrapped his arms around Saph's waist and brought her into his arms whispering something to her as he stroked her hair. Will rested his head on Saphira's as he glanced down at Lila who was just staring at Jack's body, his chest gently rising and falling but getting ever so slower.

"Jack, you can't do this. What about Saphie? You can't leave her!" Lila said, between sobs as he father wrapped an arm around her shoulder and looked down sadly at the dying form of his nephew. "You can't leave her! Jack...you can't leave me..." Lila started crying as hard as Saphie was, only doing it silent. She hated showing her emotions, but right now, she really couldn't care less what she did. She leaned down and kissed his forhead, still holding on to his hands...

_"The Jewel of the Sea." Grant nodded, as he rested his rum bottle down. He looked over at his niece and said, "It can partly heal any wound, even the most lethal. Take it away completely? Now that it can't do. That'd be Calypso's job-"_

_"-so why couldn't Jack and Will have used that when I was shot?" Lila had asked her uncle, just a few weeks ago. Grant smiled over at the girl that made it seem as if he was talking to his sisters ghost. He took her hand in his, and said, "The Jewel only works for it's keeper. It chooses people. It chose your mother, and it chose you. Only you can fully command it..."_

Lila reached around her neck and unhooked the Jewel that hung on her neck beside Will's key. Her father watched her do that as a tear rolled down his tanned face. She smiled weakly at him as she turned back down to Jack. Thankfully, he was alive. Though just barely. She pushed his shirt back as Saphira watched her everymove. She took the Jewel and laid it on Jack's wound and whispered, "Captain Jack, I really can't allow you to leave us...I can't..." She held one hand as Saphira took the other and waited. She could feel Jack's pulse start to beat faster. A light ingulfed him momentarily, and when it disappeared her father nudged her.

"Lila..." She raised her head up from Jack to see the glittery form of her mother. She smiled down at her and said, "...I'm proud of you..." She kneeled beside Jack and put her hand over his wound. It started to heal, though it was steal there. Lila knew why. It wasn't Calypso. It wouldn't take it fully away. When Jack's eyes popped open, Amphitrite leaned down and kissed his forhead. Jack opened his mouth to speak, but she just smiled and shook her head. "I love you...both of you. You'll make our family's name proud, loves."

Lila was still clutching Jack's hand a little tighter than she probably should. Looking up at Neptune, she gave his cheek a small kiss before saying to Lila, "Lilabelle, you'll make the finest queen these seas will ever see. Have faith, love." She embraced her daughter for a moment, and it was then that it was clear to everyone that Lila did truly look just like her mother. The same beauty and all.

"Mum, the Jewel...what is it?"

"It's me." Amphitrite said as she smiled down at her daughter. "I told you I would never leave you, love. And I never will." Lila started crying and hugged her mother one more time. Before she left, she put her hand on Will's shoulder and said, "Take care of her, William. I knew you two would keep that promise. And your mother sends you her love." She kissed Will's head before walking back over to Jack.

Poor thing was just laying there in a mixture of shock and pain. Looking back over at Lila, Amphitrite smiled and said, "I'm always here. Whenever you need me, just know that the Jewel will call for me. I won't leave you. Ever. I love you." And with that, Amphitrite vanished as quickly as she came.

A silence followed. Even the smallest whispered would have sounded like a scream.

"Wha' the bloody 'ell was that?" Everyone looked down at Jack who was laying on the ground, rubbing his wound. " 'Ell." Lila smiled as Saphira leaned down and kissed Jack. Jack put his hand behind her neck, and said, "You act as if I scared you, darlin'."

"Shut up, Jackie." Saphira said, kissing him one last time before allowing Lila to hug him. When he felt her tear hit his cheek, he chuckled softly and said, "Lala, you know that I wouldn't let anyone hurt me princess, right?"

"You're an idiot, Jack." She said, hugging him again. "But thank you."

A few minutes later, the five of them appeared at the docks once more to find it strangely quiet. No cannons, no screams or explosions, or anything like that. Will and Jack were the last to emerge from the dark path, since Will was allowing Jack to lean weight on to him. Keeping a strong arm around Jack's waist, Will managed to bring the two of them behind Neptune.

"What's going on?" Will asked when he saw the pirates and Neptune's army walking up the hill. No fighting. No nothing, just walking. Once they came, Neptune smiled and said, "The EITC has been destroyed. I was a fool to have trusted them. " Lila smiled at her father as she took Will's free hand. Neptune stood on an overturned longboat and addressed the remaining people in front of him. "From this day forward, the pirates shall have their freedom where they roam, and my kingdom shall remain strong-" At this, cheers and applause rang out.

Saphira walked up to Will, and Will smiled as he moved so that she could be the one to hold Jack up. Jack seemed to like that arrangement better. Will came to stand behind Lila as Neptune said, "-my kingdom, shall reign under a new ruler if she'll take it." He looked down at his daughter and waited. Lila looked out at the hundreds of people that she could very possibly be ruling over in just a few short days. Will smiled at her, and wrapped an encouraging arm around her shoulders.

"I didn't want it, Father. You knew that." Lila said, shooting a look up at her father. But that look turned into a slow smile, as she said, "I've given it some thought, and..." She paused for a moment. Neptune was waiting with a hopeful look in his eyes. Will rubbed her shoulder and whispered, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, love."

"I know." She said, with a smile. Then to the people and her father, she said, "I accept the crown." Neptune smiled at his daughter, and brought her into a hug as he whispered, "You'll make your mother proud." That made Lila smile too as she wrapped her arms tightly around her father once more, smiling more than she had since she found out...

...when to tell him about the baby? Well, she thought that there was plenty of time to figure those things out. Right now, she had to worry about being inaugurated. Not to mention she and Will still had to plan their wedding...and she was going to have to rule her own kingdom soon enought. But when she looked over at Will, she knew all of those things were going to work themselves out. Will was going to stand beside her no matter what. Pirate though he was, he was a good man.

Speaking of which...

She turned to find Jack, but he was already occupied with Saphira. Rolling her jade eyes, she turned back to her prince and smiled up at him. He wrapped his arms around her and said, "Are you scared, Princess?" She smiled up at him and kissed him for her answer.

"Not anymore. I'm going to be queen. I need to face these sorts of things."

"You'll make a fine queen, Lala." Jack said, coming to stand beside her. Jack and Saphira were standing beside Will and Lila as they stared at the horizon. Now that the smoke was parting, you could see the sun setting in the water. Lila looked down at the reflection of it in the water to see that the reflection showed just that. Nothing else like it had been for weeks. It was setting. She smiled as she laid her head on Will's chest, feeling his strong arms wrap around her. Everything, for the time being, was perfect.

Lila glanced over at Jack. Something must have passed between Saphira and Will, because Will kissed Lila briefly, and then Saphira and Will walked off of the deck, leaving Lila and Jack alone. Lila smiled up at the man that almost died for her and said, "You know what?"

"What, dearie?" Jack said, shooting her a grin.

She walked over to him and said, "You didn't have to do that for me, Jack. You're a good man, Sparrow. You really are."

A chucke escaped Jack's lips as he turned to face that girl that years ago he would have died for. As a matter of fact, he still would be. But he didn't love her like that anymore. She was happy with Will, he was happy with Saphira. But he would always love Lila. He smiled down at her and said, "You know what, love?"

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He smiled as he wrapped his own arms around her and rested his head on hers. She smiled and looked up at him as she asked, "What, Jack?"

He grinned even wider as he looked out to the horizon once more as he said, "I love those moments."  
Lila laughed, causing Jack to smile as she said, "Yes, because you love to wave at them as they pass by..."

* * *

_"...I love those moments..."_

_

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**Thanks you guys so much for reading! I really enjoyed writing this story and I hope that you guys liked it! Don't forget to review! And don't forget to check out the upcoming sequel I'm writing with a friend that will be called 'Love Binds All'! It's coming soon! Thanks again guys!**

-For the last time writing I Love Those Moments-  
-Captain Autumn


	29. NOTE

Hi, guys. It's me. After 1 million years, I've decided I wanted to write again and possibly revamp my older stories. I'm currently working on a revamp to my Pirates stories. I want to upload it. I made a new account. My penname is **MissParrish**. I was going to upload it to this account but I just have way too many stories going on here unfinished and otherwise. Some I'm not proud of (obviously, because some of them were written six years ago...I feel old.) I started writing them my freshman year of high school and now I'm halfway done with college, so I think it's safe to say my writing has improved. But yeah. This is going to be my summer project:) I just wanted to let my previous readers know and anyone who has me on alerts, to just check out my new account. My first revamping edit is going to be my Pirates series. I'm redoing the entire series of stories (starting with I Love These Moment through It'll Always Belong to You). Then, hopefully, I'll be able to _finally_ finish This Summer after a 5 year hiatus.

So yeah, if you have me on alerts, be sure in 2 days (when I can start posting on my new account) to check it out because that's where I'll be posting all of my new stories. I'll probably be deleting my stories off of here soon and just letting this one be ineffective.


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